


Kenma's personal (hot) bodyguard

by AiraKT



Series: Kenma's personal (hot) Kuro [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Age Difference, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Anal Sex, Death Threats, Dirty Talk, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Praise Kink, Slow Build, mention of underage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-05-23 09:22:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 61,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6112083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AiraKT/pseuds/AiraKT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day Kenma, son of a rich entrepreneur, receives a threatening letter, so his father gets him a bodyguard. But he really doesn’t like the thought of another man following his every step. And why is this guy so hot?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first multichapter fic and I honestly don't know how long it's going to be. Mabey 10 chapters? Something like that, probably.  
> I really wanted to write something longer about our two adorable cats, because I love them. And Kuroo as a hot bodyguard? Hell, yeah!
> 
> Rated M for the language, for now. Rating definetly will get up, as soon as we get to the steamy bedroom scenes. And trust me, we will get there :3 Also tags will be added as the story goes on (because I'm apparently really bad at tagging). Chapters will be updated weekly.
> 
> As always a lot of thanks to my little sister and my friend Velexica for acting as beta readers. Thank you both (and my other friends) for encouraging me so much :)

The walls of the huge hall were painted in a dark red and hung with heavy and expansive looking carpets. The only light sources were several dozens of black candles, since all windows were closed with curtains. The floor was – fitting to the whole atmosphere – made of dark marble, a long, red runner guiding from the heavy oak door to the big throne made of skulls and – probably – human bones. There were currently two figures calmly standing and staring at each other, measuring the other’s strength.

The knight stormed straight towards the black demon king, hands clamped around the handle of his longsword. His steps were confident, not a hint of hesitation noticeable.

_ Knock, knock. _

His first swing was strong, but his sword was caught by a dark claw and he only managed to evade the counter at the last second, with a roll to the side. When he came back to his feet, he immediately stroke again, aiming for the left arm. When the sharp blade hit the black armor, the metal shattered and broke, revealing black skin.

_ Knock, knock. “Kenma?” _

After backing up a few steps, the knight thrusted his sword towards the high ceiling and started to chant an incarnation. Heat gathered at his right hand and when it reached the peak of its power he released it. The moment the spell hit the demon king, he was surrounded by a powerful explosion.

_ “Kenma, I know that you are there, open the door.” _

While the powerful monster before him was distracted with reducing the damage as much as possible, he stormed forward again-

_ “Kenma, open the goddamn door now.” _

-holding his sword up high. He swiftly dodged the claw with a sidestep, recovering a moment after, sprinting forward again, sword still raised. As it came down with a powerful swing-

_ “I swear to god, if you don’t open the door now I will throw away all of your consoles.” _

-a shockwave threw the demon king to the floor. The knight stepped over him with both of his feet aligned with the king’s shoulders and let the point of his blade hover over his black throat. Now he only needed to-

_ “KENMA!” _

A deep sigh erupted the small blonde’s lips as he paused the game and stood up from his couch, walking towards the door. _That is exactly the reason why I lock it_ , Kenma thought while he turned the key around. He just hated it when someone disturbed him while he was playing. Especially his father, who would just start nagging about the most random and unnecessary things. For a brief moment he wondered what it would be this time, but he stopped thinking about it, as he would definitely get to know issue in a few seconds.

His father stormed past him as soon as the door opened, head red, with a vein popping at his temple. After him taking a few steps into the room he stopped and turned around to face his son again. “When were you planning on telling me about this?” he asked angrily, waving a letter.

Kenma sighed and closed the door again. “Never.”

“Never?” his father repeated unbelievingly. “Are you serious?”

“It wouldn’t change anything about the situation, would it?” Kenma shrugged, looking bored.

His father silently looked at him for moment, before letting out a deep and heavy sigh. “You understand how grave this situation is, don’t you?”

Again Kenma just shrugged. “It’s only a letter.”

“It’s not _only a letter_. Do you even understand the meaning of ‘threatening letter’?”

“It’s a letter that someone wrote to threaten me.”

His father obviously was at a loss for words at that. “Anyway, I will have gotten   you a bodyguard by the end of the week, so don’t leave the house until then,” his father declared, after he recovered a little.

“What?” Kenma asked startled. For the first time he didn’t seem only bored. “I have school. And I really don’t need a bodyguard, it’s not like someone is trying to kill me.” Not that he cared much about school, but he really didn’t want to be locked up in his room _all_ day.

“According to this letter, that is _exactly_ what someone is trying to do. And you  _ will _ get someone to protect you. ”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would anyone seriously try-“

His father interrupted him. “That’s enough, I don’t want to hear another word. It’s decided, if you like it or not. I would integrate you in the decision about your bodyguard, but you obviously don’t take this seriously. And only because you will be at home the next three days doesn’t mean that you should neglect your studies. Don’t even think about wasting all your time playing games.” With that his father left the room.

Kenma just stood there, looking speechlessly at the door. Then he let out a silent curse and went back to his console. He really wanted to beat up that demon king now.

-

“Can you _please_ explain to me what the hell went wrong _this time_?”

“I… it’s just…” The raven sighed deep and heavy as he scratched the back of his head. “Yui didn’t want to see me.”

“She didn’t … What the fuck, Kuroo? She was your goddamn client!” The woman who sat in her leathern office chair looked at him with furrowed brows and an angry spark in her eyes. But what else was new.

Shimizu Kiyoko – his boss – was a black haired woman in her forties, always dressed for business and always terribly serious. Tetsuro wasn’t sure if he has ever seen a smile on that woman’s face – and he has already been working for eight years at her company. A company which specialized in body protection for extremely rich clients. Tetsuro was one of the bodyguards.

And now she was pissed at him. “I don’t care if she _didn’t want to see you_ , you were supposed to watch and _protect_ her! How did you plan on doing that without _seeing_ her?”

He grunted. “She is alive, isn’t she? And the psychopath is in prison, so I did my job.”

“Alive and forever paranoid, fearing for her life. She wasn’t supposed to come face to face with the barrel of a _fucking_ _gun_. What would have happened, if you had come into the room a minute later?”

“But I didn’t, so can we _please_ stop talking about it? I don’t care what happened as long as she is alive.”

“But I _do_ care.” She slammed her hands on her desk. “What if it happens again and it doesn’t go well this time? How am I supposed to trust you and give you new jobs?”

His left brow shot up. “Wait, that’s what this whole story is about? Really? I never fucked up a job, not _once,_ and I don’t plan on starting now.” As his boss only stared at him without saying a word, Tetsuro let out a humorless laugh.  “Fuck, Kiyoko, are you for real? I thought you trusted me. It only takes one small mistake to destroy this?” He gestured between the two of them.

Kiyoko sighed again. “No, Tetsu, of course not. I’m sorry. It’s just…” Another sigh. For a short moment Tetsuro asked himself, whether she would ever stop. “The Michimiya family is really important for the company, we already got so many missions from them, and you know that. And stop pretending that it’s your first mistake, we both know that’s not true.”

“No, the rest was just-“

“Tetsu, please. Let’s not discuss that now,” she cut him off.

He shut his jaw tightly, resisting the urge to talk back, knowing that she would just get angrier and he really didn’t need that now.

“Anyway,” she continued, “I _do_ have a new job for you.” She handed him a file. “The young son of the Kozume family received a threatening letter, so his father wants him to be protected 24/7.”

He opened the binder to read the individual documents. “How young is young?” he asked, just as he opened the profile of a blonde boy. Seventeen. He snorted. “A teenage brat.”

Kiyoko raised her eyebrows but didn’t comment.

“The police is searching for the culprit?”

“Yeah, but you know the probability of finding the writer of an anonymous letter.”

He nodded. “So, protection for an uncertain amount of time.”

“Yup.”

When he saw the letter he frowned. It really wasn’t very charming and Tetsuro wondered for a moment, what a sixteen year old could have done to deserve such harsh words. But he concluded that it probably was the fault of his father. Rich businessman often angered a lot of people and it was always easier to attack the children. “Ok, I’ll do it.”

“Of course you do,” Kiyoko snorted. “But you won’t get the job immediately. The father wants to meet you on Saturday and do some kind of … interview. So, I hope you’ll show your best people skills and charm the family as much as you can.”

A slow smirk spread across his face. “That’s what I’m best at.”

-

Kenma didn’t know exactly why, but not being able to go to school for three days annoyed the hell out of him. Perhaps if he had chosen to stay at home, he could have enjoyed his free time. But between playing his games and trying to learn his school stuff by himself, he still found time to sulk. And he really didn’t have problems showing this to his father, who in turn got annoyed himself.

That was just one more reason his father had decided to exclude him from taking part in the discussion about his new bodyguard. As far as Kenma knew, there were some candidates being interviewed in their dining room at this very moment. One half of him didn’t care about that and wanted to concentrate on his game, but the other half of him was extremely curious. Of course he wanted to decide for himself what kind of man would follow his every step from now on. His face scrunched. He would probably be stuck with some stoic guy, who wouldn’t say more words than necessary. Hopefully. He could live with that, even when he would be watched all the time. Worst case, he got some kind of pervert. He had seen enough movies to know that it was a legitimate possibility.

His phone rang and interrupted his thoughts. He answered in a bored tone.

“Kenma, come down to the dining room, please,” his father told him. “You should meet your new bodyguard.”

He sighed a little, but still agreed. After he hung up, he paused the game, contemplated for a short moment if he should save and close the game, but decided against it. It certainly wouldn’t take long until he was able to go back to playing. He just had to go down, show his face for a moment and come back again. His father would take care of all details, he wouldn’t have to do anything – hopefully.

As he walked towards the door, he noticed his outfit. He only wore sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. He hadn’t even bothered with socks today. But after a moment, he decided that he didn’t care at all. It wasn’t like he wanted to make a good impression. Perhaps, he thought for a moment, he managed to annoy his bodyguard so much, he would be left in peace. That was a good plan, he would do that – but only if it wasn’t too much work.

So as he was, he went down the stairs, his bare feet padding on the marble steps. Their house was pretty large, actually way _too_ large for just three people, especially with his parents always working. His mother wasn’t even here right now, but Kenma wasn’t sure where she was. Maybe she was having dinner with some important business partner or simply with some of her friends. Usually his father wouldn’t be there either, since he always did some kind of trip on the weekends, mostly golfing or fishing. Kenma was kind of glad that he wasn’t even asked if he wanted to go with him. Because he really didn’t want.

When he stood in front of the door to their joined living and dining room, he reached out to the handle, hesitating for a moment, when he heard the sound of his father laughing from the other side of the wood. Before opening it, he let out a small sigh.

“Oh, you are finally here,” his father called out to him and stood up, a huge smile plastered on his face. Kenma contemplated for a moment about what exactly could have been that funny, but in the end didn’t think too much about it. He didn’t care. “This is my son Kenma, Kuroo-san. Kenma, this is Kuroo Tetsuro. Starting tomorrow, he will be your bodyguard.”

Kenma didn’t really listen, as his eyes were fixed on the tall man, who also stood up from his chair and turned around to him. He had black hair, styled, as if he had just woken up, and narrow, caramel colored eyes. His frame was muscular, but slender, with broad shoulders and a slim waist, and he was tall, roughly twenty centimeters taller than himself. He had a defined jaw, which made him look really mature, compared to the youthful look he had in his eyes. His fair skin set a beautiful contrast to the dark blue shirt he was wearing. The first two buttons were left open and the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing two muscular forearms with big hands and long, slim fingers. The long legs were clad in stone washed blue-jeans, perfectly hugging a firm backside, of which Kenma only got a short glimpse.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kenma-kun,” he greeted him with a smile while offering him a hand, although it was more of a smirk, than a genuine smile. His voice was on the lower side and had a soothing and alluring ring to it.

As Kenma took the stretched hand, all he could think of was _Fuck, he’s hot._

-

“Hey, hey, hey, look who’s here!” a loud voice rang through the bar and a few heads turned around to the source.

Tetsuro didn’t know if he should frown or smile, but a moment later an involuntary smirk spread across his face as he walked towards the table his friends – and coworkers – sat at. “Hey guys,” he greeted them with a small salute.

“Hi, Kuroo,” Sawamura greeted him back and Iwaizumi nodded in his direction.

His best friend – the one with the loud voice – stood up and pulled him into a bear hug. Way too surprised to fend him off, Tetsuro just endured it. “Bro, it’s ok, don’t feel too bad about it,” Bokuto said and patted his back.

“Wait, what? The hell are you talking about?” Tetsuro asked confused, shoving him away.

“Your messed up mission, of course!”

At that Tetsuro’s face scrunched up. “I _didn’t_ mess up. Everything’s fine.”

Bokuto eyed him sympathetically and shoved him towards the table. “It’s ok, sit down for now, I’ll get you a beer.”

“No, Bokuto, I really-” But the grey haired guy was gone already. So he just sighed and joined the other two.

As he noticed their gazes, he frowned. “Like I said, I did _not_ mess up.”

“Really? Shimizu-san said otherwise,” Iwaizumi stated and pulled up one eyebrow. Sawamura nodded.

“What did she tell you guys?”

“She talked with Bokuto, actually.”

“Yep, she did,” Bokuto affirmed and handed him a beer. Tetsuro took the cool bottle and nodded a thanks. “When I asked her why we didn’t see you in the office the last few days, she said that I shouldn’t expect you for a few more weeks.”

“So, of course we deduced that it was your punishment for not fulfilling your mission,” Iwaizumi added.

With a sigh, Tetsuro took a deep gulp from his bottle and shook his head. “On the contrary. I’m starting my next one tomorrow. Open end. And I told you, Yui – the client – is fine and everything went more or less smoothly.”

Sawamura snorted. “I guess we’re not gonna talk about the ‘more or less’ part.”

“Nope.” With a pop on the p. They laughed a bit at that.

“But wow, another job already?” Sawamura continued. “You really are a lucky bastard, aren’t you?”

“Well, I guess I’m just more popular than you guys,” Tetsuro answered with a smirk.

“That’s why you’re the only one of us, who is single,” Iwaizumi deadpanned and earned himself a jab to his ribs. The other two just laughed, obviously pleased with themselves.

Tetsuro snorted. “You’re such good friends, you know that?” His voice dripped with sarcasm, but he was masterly ignored, as they switched to different topics.

But it was true. Sawamura has been in a happy relationship since high school and Tetsuro has always wondered, how someone like his black haired friend managed to catch such an angel as Sugawara. And Sugawara definitely was an angel, not only because of his looks. Bokuto had met his current boyfriend Akaashi a few years back and that guy also was an angel – a real black haired beauty. Just another relationship that made Tetsuro wonder how exactly someone could endure one of his friends for so long. But on the other hand, he and Bokuto have been best friends for nearly ten years now. Iwaizumi has only recently gotten all lovey-dovey with yet another beauty called Oikawa – but _that guy_ was definitely no angel, not at all. Actually, he was quite annoying and Tetsuro had no problems saying that out loud. But as long as Iwaizumi was happy, Tetsuro guessed that it was okay. As he thought about all that, he realized for the first time that all of his friends had really hot boyfriends, even for his standards.

“Huh,” he said out loud at that realization, interrupting the others’ conversation.

“What’s wrong?” Sawamura asked and the other two eyed him warily.

Tetsuro dismissively waved his hands in front of him. “It’s nothing, I was just thinking about some things.”

Iwaizumi seemed to want to press the issue, but Bokuto didn’t care and quickly changed the topic. “So, your new job, what is it about?”

At this Tetsuro scrunched up his face. “Babysitting,” he answered, displeasure obviously ringing in his voice.

“A child?” Iwaizumi asked with a frown.

“More like a rich teenage brat.” Although that brat wasn’t exactly what he had expected.

When that small boy with his strange blonde hair and black roots had shown up, he had been having real trouble not to let the surprise show on his face. He had certainly not anticipated that more than casual appearance and that look on his face, which just screamed indifference. Throughout their conversation, his first impression hadn’t changed, as the bored look had never left Kenma’s cat-like eyes. The only time interest had sparked in his gaze, was as Tetsuro had introduced himself. Of course, he could have imagined that, but he had done his best to charm the boy. It was always easier to work with clients who liked him – well except when it went like it did with Yui.

Sawamura groaned on his behalf. “Those are always the worst.”

“Well, I don’t know yet, I just met him earlier today. But he seems to be…” He searched for the right word and when he found it, he frowned. “Difficult.”

As he took another gulp of his beer, Bokuto heavily hit him on his back. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Probably.”

Tetsuro choked and loudly coughed, possibly spitting out his soul in the process. His best friend just laughed at him, earning an angry gaze. But he was right, he would be fine. Probably.

“Hey guys,” a chirpy voice called out to them, interrupting him planning his revenge. Next to their table stood a petite girl, shyly smiling and playing with one of her hair strands. “My friends and I are kind of lonely and we wondered, if you want to join us.” She pointed at another table, were three more women sat, all gawking and giggling.

Neither Tetsuro nor one of his friends believed the innocent act – well, maybe Bokuto did. “Sorry dear, we’re taken,” Sawamura answered with an apologetic smile.

“Oh.” The girl looked dejected. “Well, that’s too bad then.”

For a moment Tetsuro looked back and forth between her and her friends. _Cute enough_ , he decided. “Actually,” he said and stood up, laying an arm around her shoulders, “those guys are taken. _I’d_ love to spend the evening in the presence of such lovely ladies.” He saw Iwaizumi roll his eyes and Sawamura silently chuckling, but didn’t care. He definitely could use some company tonight, before he started to spend his entire time watching a teenage boy, and it looked like he had more than enough options to choose from.

The reward for his praise was an adorable blush, which he answered with a lazy smirk. “Well then, I’ll see you guys another time,” he told his friends and waved them goodbye, as he went with the girl to the other table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, tell me what you think about this first chapter :) (I'm really nervous, tbh ^^')  
> If you ever want to talk to me about adorable cats playing volleyball (or anything else) you can find me on Twitter (since I have no Tumblr). My nickname is @SaendyH


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new chapter. Sorry for the lack of action, but I really don't want to rush things ^^'
> 
> Thank you so much for all the nice comments, you have no idea how happy they've me ;v;
> 
> And again a huge thanks to my little sister and Velexica :3

With displeasure clearly written on his face and crossed arms Kenma watched as his new bodyguard walked around in his room. “Can’t you at least tell me, what you’re doing?” he asked, annoyance drenching his voice.

Five minutes ago his father had led Kuroo into his room, told him “do not even try to protest,” and left the two of them alone. Kenma had just been sitting on his couch too overwhelmed to actually do something, as Kuroo went to his window and did… something.

At Kenma’s question he raised his head and looked at him. “I’m installing an alarm system to your windows and your door. The house already has a basic system, but since you’re the target, it only makes sense to use higher security for your room. It will only alarm me, though.” He paused for a moment, seemingly thinking of something. “You normally don’t sleep with an open window, do you?”

The teenager shook his head. “No.” With hesitation he continued, “Does that mean, I can’t open my windows anymore?”

“We’ll only activate it in the night, of course.” The raven went back to installing the system again.

The main problem Kenma had right now, was – well, unsurprisingly, Kuroo. Only five minutes have passed, since he had come into his room, and Kenma already wished he was gone. He couldn’t even pinpoint exactly why he felt that way, Kuroo didn’t even talk to him or annoyed him in any other way. Actually he could just continue to play his game and the raven probably wouldn’t even comment on it. And yet … he just _couldn’t_ continue to play his game. He tried, but somehow his attention always shifted to the other man in his room. Kuroo didn’t have to do anything to get his heed, his presence was just so strong – so _demanding_. And there was still the fact that he was _really_ attractive and exactly his type, as Kenma had to begrudgingly admit to himself.

With a sigh he forced his gaze away and towards the TV monitor where Sora was waiting to be controlled by him. Normally it was pretty easy for Kenma to get immersed in his game and to dive into a fictional world. It was an uncomplicated way to forget his school days, the constant nagging of his father, all his worries. And it was fun. He loved it when he was challenged, when he had to use all his dexterity and his wits to beat something whether it was an enemy or a puzzle, because _when_ he managed to solve the problem the feeling of accomplishment gave him a little high – and by now Kenma was good enough to beat every game he touched. Of course he knew what he was doing. That he was simply fleeing from his reality, because it was harder to accomplish something in real life, especially when his father was constantly disappointed in him due to various reasons. It should probably make him happy to know that he cared enough about him to hire a bodyguard at the slightest danger.

When the couch sank a little, Kenma only shot a quick look beside him, since he was in a rather difficult fight right now. He heard Kuroo snort next to him. “What the hell are Donald and Goofy doing in Tarzan’s jungle?”

“You don’t know Kingdom Hearts?” the teenager asked in bewilderment.

Another amused snort. “The way you say it, it sounds like I committed a crime.”

“It’s one of the best action role-playing games, with an amazing story that combines a lot of different Disney worlds with an original universe,” he carefully answered, still not sure what to make of that sly smirk.

Kuroo hummed in response, keeping his eyes on the TV. They sat a few minutes in silence, before the raven continued to ask questions. “Are you hitting the enemy with a key?”

“Well, the weapon _is_ called Keyblade.”

“People really think of strange things sometimes.”

Another laugh made Kenma glance sideways, missing the right moment to dodge. “Are those black, small things really enemies? They look way too adorable.”

With a silent curse Kenma sighed and paused the game. “Kuroo-san, what do you want?” His tone earned him a strange look.

“First of all, don’t use ‘-san’ with me, it only makes me feel old.” The bodyguard continued with a shrug, “And I already made myself comfortable in the guestroom, and finished installing the security system. So I thought we can get used to each other’s presence, since we’re going to spend a lot of time together from now on.”

Kenma frowned at that thought, but didn’t comment on it. “I think thirty _is_ pretty old, Kuroo-san.”

“Hey, I’m not thirty. I’m only twenty-seven,” Kuroo exclaimed in exasperation. In clearly feigned exasperation. 

A small smile tugged on the blonde’s lips, as he continued his game again. “Well then it’s Kuro, I guess.”

At this the raven outright laughed. “Really? You take a letter off of my name and make it a nickname?”

“I can go back to Kuroo-san, if you want,” Kenma murmured, fighting off a blush.

Kuroo grinned. “No, it’s ok, it’s kinda adorable, actually. I guess I can simply call you ‘Kenma’ then?”

The red on the teenager’s cheeks only deepened and he silently nodded.

-

The dinner was – if Tetsuro had to formulate it carefully – awkward. He had never been in a serious relationship so he never had to meet someone’s parents but he had the feeling that it would be exactly like this. They mostly ate in silence, only mother Kozume occasionally asked him a question about his past or his work – all the things he didn’t want to talk about. Thank god he was a master in gracefully dodging topics he wasn’t comfortable with.

Between charming the mother and joking with the father – the man really liked him, for whatever reason – he shot sideway glances to Kenma who sat next to him. The teenager obviously didn’t want to be here and considering the atmosphere, Tetsuro couldn’t blame him. But judging by their body language it wasn’t his own fault but probably a rather common ambience, and Tetsuro already knew everything he needed to know about the Kozumes.

They were your typical, rich family. The father was the owner of a successful engineering company, the mother had established a famous fashion brand and their only son was an attractive teenager, who seemed to be extraordinarily intelligent – the perfect household on the outside, all with cooks and maids and everything else one could need. Although on the inside it was obvious how the single members didn’t care about each other at all.

Tetsuro nearly snorted. It was almost funny how different Kenma’s childhood has been from his own. Growing up as a single child, who gets everything he could think of had been something little Tetsuro had only been able to dream about. He didn’t even want to start on about the stable future that had already been waiting for the other boy, when he had only been a brat so he probably didn’t even know the meaning of the word ‘worry’. It was easy to see why Kenma always seemed to be bored when he easily got everything he wanted.

Of course Tetsuro would still play nice and try not to prejudge the teenager, even though there were more than enough past clients, who had affirmed his suspicions. But their first few hours together passed mostly in harmonic silence, so he had to give him that.

“So, Kuroo-san,” the mother addressed him, “what exactly are you planning to do about Kenma’s school, tomorrow?”

Tetsuro looked up from his filet and considered his answer carefully. “That really depends on Kenma himself. If he feels safe at school, then there is indeed no need for me to be there, since it _is_ pretty safe.” He already saw the frown forming on the father’s face. That wasn’t an uncommon reaction to that answer. “Of course I will still escort him on the way.”

“How can you guarantee his safety during class, when you are not even present? It would really be appreciated, if you considered not leaving my son’s side, since that is exactly what we are paying you for,” the father countered sternly. 

The raven already had a smile on his lips and was ready to answer, when Kenma cut him off. “That’s really unnecessary. The teachers probably wouldn’t even allow him to stay during class, he’ll only be a distraction.”

“I know your school principal, he won’t have a problem with doing me a favor.”

“No, really.” Kenma sighed. “It’s safe within school. Strangers can’t even get inside unnoticed, that’s one of the reasons you chose the school, remember?”

“I have to agree with Kenma,” Tetsuro backed the teenager. “When faced with a threatening letter it’s always recommended to continue everyday life. Panicking will only show the culprit that his methods are working and he’ll only feel supported to continue. After eight years in this line of work I can assure you that schools are perfectly safe, Kozume-san.” He smiled at Kenma. “And we don’t want Kenma to feel nervous all the time because I constantly remind him of his situation, do we?”

The father seemed to be rather unamused. “It wouldn’t harm him to take the situation more seriously,” he muttered under his breath, before he continued in a loud voice, “but if that’s how you evaluate the situation, Kuroo-san, I guess we will trust your decision.”

Tetsuro just smiled at him suppressing the need to roll his eyes. He was already used to overly scared parents, but Kenma’s lack of fear definitely surprised him. It was certainly not normal to have his life threatened at his age and it would be more understandable, if he asked his bodyguard to constantly protect him.

The conversation shifted to some acquaintance the Kozumes seemed to know and Tetsuro let the voices fade out. He inwardly sighed. He could already imagine, how his next few weeks – or months if he was unlucky – would pass. Not that he would ever complain to Kiyoko, since he was way too grateful for everything she’d done for him.

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Kenma watching him with a strange look on his face. Tetsuro couldn’t quite pinpoint the emotion in those catlike eyes, so he simply turned around a little to smile at the teenager. If he didn’t know it better, he would swear that Kenma blushed in that moment.

-

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. Tetsuro followed Kenma back into his room and just sat next to him on the couch, while the teenager continued to play his game. Somehow Tetsuro got the feeling that they would spend a lot of time like that. Kenma seemed to notice too.

“So, it’s going to be like this?” the blonde asked. “You’re going to just sit here and watch whatever I’m doing?”

Tetsuro nodded. “Yeah, for now. We’ll just have to wait for the police to find some clues. Or for the predator to make another move. But don’t worry. Whatever’ll happen from now on, I’ll be here to protect you.”

The look he got was pretty skeptical. “I’m pretty sure nothing will happen. There’s no reason for anyone to come after me.”

He wanted to argue that there was also no reason for anyone to send him a threatening letter, but he kept quiet. Like he had told the father before, he didn’t want Kenma to be unnecessarily scared. So he just said, “That definitely would be for the best.”

They locked their eyes for a short moment, before the teenager grew visibly uncomfortable and shifted his gaze. With a sigh Tetsuro stood up and stretched. “I’ll call it a night. But before,” he took a small device out of his pocket. “This is for you.”

Warily Kenma took the black gadget and turned it in his hands, but didn’t notice anything special apart from the very prominent button.

“It’s a panic button,” the bodyguard explained. “Same effect as the alarm system. When you press it, I’ll get notified immediately and get to you as fast as possible. Don’t hesitate to use it.”

The teenager sighed, but took it without protest. “Ok.”

“I mean it, Kenma.” The sudden serious tone got Kenma’s attention and he locked gaze with the raven again. “I know how you think about the situation and I agree, it _is_ highly unlikely that someone will attack you in your own room, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Call me if anything catches your attention even if it’s just your imagination in the end.”

The answer came a little reluctant. “I get it, Kuro. If I feel threatened, I’ll call you.”

Tetsuro still didn’t think that Kenma would actually call him, but there was nothing he could do about it. So he just nodded and bid him goodnight, before retreating to the guest room he was given.

-

Kenma had always been hating being driven to school and when he started high school he had finally managed to convince his father that he could go on his own. And even though he wasn’t the biggest fan of public transportation, it was way better than the mass of attention he drew to himself otherwise.

And now he was sitting in one of his father’s expensive sport cars, parking next to his school’s outer gate.

“Where’s your classroom?” his bodyguard asked him and cut his thoughts off.

Kenma skeptically drew one eyebrow up. “Why? You’re not coming inside with me.”

A sigh left Kuro’s lips. “Just in case of an emergency. Would be quite a problem, if I didn’t know where to search for you.”

That would definitely be useful in the highly unlikely case Kenma pressed the panic button. Highly unlikely, because he didn’t even want to take it with him to school in the first place. However the raven insisted on it, saying that it was the least he had to do, since Kuro wouldn’t be present. He had also promised Kenma that he would always be in five minutes reach, although the teenager wasn’t quite sure how exactly he planned on doing that.

Kenma just looked at Kuro for a short moment. Remember that plan he had, which included annoying his bodyguard until he would be left alone? Yeah, Kenma had decided against it. Pretty fast. Actually he had decided against it the moment he had seen the raven for the first time. Because if he had to spend all his time with a stranger, he might as well spend it with a _hot_ stranger and Kuro definitely wasn’t a bad choice. So he would cooperate. Well, at least until it got too annoying.

So he answered obediently. “Fourth floor. After taking the main stairs you have to go right and then the second corridor to the left and then-“

“Ok, you know what? Do you have enough time to take me to your principal for a short moment?” Kuro interrupted him.

Kenma frowned at that thought. “Why?”

“I want to take a quick look around to get familiar with the building and I’ll have to ask for your principal’s permission.”

“Do I have a choice?” the teenager asked hesitantly, but Kuro only laughed at him.

“You can show me around yourself.”

With a sigh Kenma ran a hand through his hair. “You can park over there.”

-

“Kenma-san, we’re over here!” a loud and cheerful voice called through the canteen, accompanied by hectic waving arms.

Kenma let out a deep sigh, but made his way over to his usual table nonetheless. Nearly every time he wondered why Lev called out to him, even though they always sat in the same place, but on the other hand – like he said – he wondered nearly every time.

When he sat down next to Lev, his underclassman shot him a happy smile and immediately asked him how he was. The half Russian always seemed so enthusiastic, it kind of irritated Kenma and the only reason he joined him was Shouyou, who currently sat across of him. And maybe he liked Lev a little bit – a really, tiny, little bit.

Foresaid orange head also beamed a smile at him. “Hey Kenma. How’ve you been the last few days? What was wrong?”

The blonde teenager grimaced in annoyance at the memory. He could have guessed that he had to explain everything to his friends – they always were awfully curious. And he’d rather tell the two everything, before the rest of their friends – or rather Shouyou’s and Lev’s friends he also was acquainted with – would come.

“You remember the threatening letter I told you about?” The two younger guys nodded.

On the day Kenma got that letter he had immediately called Shouyou. Although he wasn’t really afraid of being murdered, the content of the letter had been unnerving, even for someone as uncaring as him. And Lev was surprisingly receptive, when Kenma had problems, and had nearly forced him to share what happened. The only other person he had shown the letter had been his mother. He simply hadn’t wanted to make such a huge deal out of it.

“Apparently my mom told my dad and he immediately overreacted,” Kenma explained with a sigh. “He hired a bodyguard and he just started yesterday. So until then dad had forbidden me to leave the house.”

“I don’t think hiring a bodyguard in that situation is overreacting, Kenma-san,” Lev countered with a frown and Shouyou nodded.

Kenma snorted. “I’m still pretty sure that it was just a poor joke. There’s no reason for someone to kill me.” He should have counted how often he has said that sentence these last few days.

“Being careful won’t hurt you.” At Shouyou’s intense stare, he could only sigh. As always there was no use arguing with his stubborn friend. The orange head continued, “But man, a personal bodyguard? That’s really cool.”

“More like really bothersome,” the blonde returned, only to stop and think a little. “But Kuro is somehow ok, I guess.”

Shouyou’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh? Someone who doesn’t annoy you? That’s rare.”

Since Kenma didn’t plan on answering, he simply shrugged.

“Why is he not with you now?” Lev inquired curiously.

“Kuro said it’s safe at school so he doesn’t need to be here, and honestly I’m really glad about that. He’s going to fetch me after school though.”

“Oh?” A grin spread on Shouyou’s face, a grin that meant no good. “Lev, how about we accompany Kenma to the school gate before we go to practice later?”

The addressed teen seemed confused. “Of course we can do that, but why?”

“You know, make sure he’s safe and stuff,” Shouyou nonchalantly shrugged, before a huge grin broke out again. “And to get a look at Kenma’s not annoying bodyguard.”

Kenma’s brows knitted in irritation. “You really don’t have to do that.”

“Oh, we will.”

“You will what?”

The three of them turned to where Kageyama stood, next to him Nishinoya, Tanaka and Yamamoto, who were also part of their volleyball team.

Once again Shouyou grinned a huge smile, but Kenma shot him an angry look. So the orange head bit his lower lip and sang an innocent “Nothing”.

-

A shrill sound teared Tetsuro from his deep slumber and he only took a few seconds to process what was going on. After he recognized the alarm, he sprung up and ran to his door, his gun already in his hand, his mind immediately switched to action mode. He nearly stumbled into a small shadow, as soon as he left his door, reflexively grabbing for an arm and pinning the person to the wall.

The small figure let out a shocked gasped. “Kuro? What’s wrong?”

As Tetsuro recognized the voice, his grip softened. “Kenma?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

With a deep sigh he let Kenma go and backed up a little. When he noticed the teenager’s fearful look, he also lowered the gun, he had unconsciously threatened him with. He let his free hand ran through his hair and took deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. “What are you doing out here?”

Kenma still seemed to be extremely confused and also a little scared. “I just wanted to get something to drink from the kitchen.”

Tetsuro nearly laughed at that explanation, but only let out a small sigh. “Wait a second, I’ll come with you,” he requested, while he retreated to the guestroom again, reaching for his smartphone to turn the annoying alarm off. The sound was so noisy, Tetsuro wondered for a moment how the parents weren’t already standing next to them, but the rest of the house was surprisingly quiet.

“What happened?” Kenma asked again, catching Tetsuro’s attention. Only then the raven really looked at him.

The teenager timidly stood in the doorway, hair ruffled, eyes still sleepy albeit all the excitement. He looked even smaller in his large pajamas, and the adorable cat paw print reminded Tetsuro of his age again.

“You have triggered the alarm, when you opened the door,” Tetsuro explained.

The cat like eyes widened in understanding and Kenma’s mouth formed a small o. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”

“No, it’s ok. At least now we know that it works,” the older male tried to reassure him with a smile.

Kenma bit his lower lip, but nodded a little. “But you really don’t have to come with me.”

That drew a small laugh from the bodyguard’s lips. “I need something to drink myself to calm down a little.” When the teenager shot him a confused look, he shrugged. “You know, adrenaline and stuff.”

With another nod Kenma turned around and led the way to the kitchen. After they arrived, Kenma grabbed two glasses and a bottle of water for them and sat on the table after handing one over, while Tetsuro comfortably leaned against a counter. He took the full glass with a small thanks.

For a few moments a pleasant silence spread between them, in which each of them just sipped on their water. With a groan Tetsuro brought a hand to his neck and started to rub some of the stiffness out of it. He had always been sensitive to beds that weren’t his own and even more to unfamiliar pillows, so no matter how comfortable his bedding was, he needed a few days to get used to it and to be able to sleep peacefully.

While continuously massaging his muscles, he caught Kenma staring and his eyebrows rose. The teenager blushed a little and quickly avoided his gaze, taking another sip of his water. Even though he was confused, Tetsuro decided not to think too much about it. “So, why are you up anyway?” he asked instead.

Kenma frowned a little, still refusing to look at him. “No reason, just couldn’t sleep.”

“Nightmares?”

The shocked expression in the teenager’s eyes appearing with just that word was gone so fast, Tetsuro wasn’t sure if he had seen it right. But the way the small hands tensed around the glass was pretty obvious. “It’s nothing serious.”

Once again Tetsuro thought about how Kenma was still a teenager, despite his mature and uncaring attitude. A teenager, whose life was threatened by some stranger. Even if he pretended that to not care about the letter at all, Tetsuro had seen enough shit in his life to know how much of a toll such a situation could take on one’s psyche. And the way those narrow shoulders slumped and with his head hanging down to make himself look smaller, tug on his heart and made sympathy rise inside of him.

The raven slowly went over to the teenager and started to ruffle his blond hair. “You really don’t have to be afraid,” he whispered, hoping to ease some of the anxiety. “I’m here to protect you.”

Surprised Kenma looked at him, but didn’t back away. Those golden, cat like orbs only stared at Tetsuro and the raven couldn’t really recognize the emotions swirling inside them. Only after a few moments of silently looking into each other’s eyes did the older one realize what was happening and he retracted his arm as if he had been shocked. He awkwardly cleared his throat and took a few steps back, feelings his cheeks warm up a little.

“Anyway,” he started slowly, “let’s go back. Both of us could use some sleep.”

The teenager avoided his gaze and nodded silently, before he stood up to leave the kitchen. _What the hell are you doing,_ Tetsuro asked himself, as he followed with a sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always please tell me what you think about it, I will be eternally grateful :3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people!  
> Some of you may have noticed that I updated the rating and the tags. It does _not_ mean that stuff will happen in this chapter, it just means stuff _will_ happen and I don't want to spoil exactly when it will happen. So people who don't like explicit content: consider yourself warned.  
>  In another note: I kinda like this chapter and I'm even a little proud of what I did :3 So, I hope you have fun reading it :)
> 
> As always a lot of thanks to my sister and Velexica, without them some things would be really strange xD

They quickly found a routine in their daily life: Kenma would eat for breakfast, Tetsuro would come to the kitchen a little later to gulp down a cup of coffee and afterwards they would drive to school. While Kenma sat in his classroom and tried to pay attention – he didn’t really _have_ to listen to his teachers to get good grades – Tetsuro would drive to some café to get himself breakfast and then spent his time working out at the gym or simply loafing around in the area. He hadn’t read that much books in a long time. After a week and a half he had already gotten acquainted with all the waiters and cheerily chatted with them every day, causing more than one person to ask, if he was in fact jobless.

At exactly 3:30 – Kenma hadn’t really been motivated to join any club – Tetsuro would wait in front of the school gate to pick the teenager up and they would immediately drive home. The afternoon honestly wasn’t any more interesting. Of course Kenma had to do his homework and also had to learn for surprise tests – Tetsuro even helped him on a few occasions, since he had been pretty decent in high school himself – and afterwards he would mostly go back to playing some games, which left the bodyguard with nothing much to do besides watching and loafing around again. Actually he didn’t even have to stay in the same room, but he enjoyed Kenma’s presence and the teenager never complained.

Eating dinner was usually just among the two of them, and it wasn’t uncommon to not see Kenma’s parents for several days – meeting them both at once was close to a miracle – so of course they got to know each other better quickly, even if they were mostly talking about movies, games or music. At least they got along pretty well and the atmosphere was pleasantly relaxed between them.

A whole month passed by like that, without anything special happening. Apart from being genuinely relieved about the lack of any threat, Tetsuro was positive that he would just _die_ from boredom should it continue in that manner. He even questioned why he was hired in the first place, when Kenma was always either at school or in his room.

There had been one dinner with Kozume-san and some of his business partners, where the man had demanded for Kenma’s presence, so naturally Tetsuro had escorted him. He had been thankful for being able to actually _work_ for once. Like he was used to he had been discreetly standing in a shadow and observing the restaurant, looking out for anyone remotely suspicious. But luckily nothing had happened aside from Kenma having failed to look minimally interested thus angering his father. The ride back had been slightly uncomfortable for Tetsuro, as he had to listen to Kozume-san berating his son pretty harshly without being able to say anything. But since Kenma had seemed to not have been affected, Tetsuro had quickly forgotten about it.

But apart from that incident almost nothing broke the routine. The only other disruption was an orange haired brat, who apparently was Kenma’s friend and came over to visit once in a while, and the bodyguard always left the two alone, giving them privacy.

During one of those afternoons Tetsuro decided to call his friend Bokuto to… well, actually he called him to whine about his situation.

“I feel you, bro, the last job I had was hella boring too,” Bokuto comforted him sympathetically. “The client was an author and he effectively did nothing the whole day. And capturing the stalker at one of the book signings was way too easy.”

“Yeah, but Kenma is _seventeen_ ,” Tetsuro complained. “I still remember what we used to do at that age and into how much trouble we got. You can’t even compare that.”

“Maybe he just isn’t the type to do that.”

Tetsuro nearly sighed. Ever since Bokuto had started dating Akaashi he had become so _tame_. Well, probably not tame, he was still Bokuto after all, but sometimes he nearly seemed reasonable. “I know that myself. It’s just- I don’t know, I feel like he could do so much more with his life, if he only wanted.” But of course he knew that he couldn’t force Kenma.

“Why don’t you just drag him out to do something? If it’s you, you can probably convince him.”

That wouldn’t count as forcing, right? “Maybe I’ll try it sometime.”

After that their conversation shifted to random topics and afterwards Tetsuro couldn’t even remember what Bokuto had bragged about, but he was pretty sure it involved Akaashi somehow.

-

“We are so sorry, Kuroo-san,” Kenma’s mother apologized profusely. “It is so unfortunate that something like this had to happen.”

“It’s alright, Kozume-san, it’s not like you’ve had any influence on it,” Tetsuro rebutted with a smile. Also he was kinda sure that she simply felt obligated to say something like that without really meaning it, but of course he’d never say that.

But the whole incident was undoubtedly pretty unfortunate. These past few weeks Tetsuro had been enjoying a bathroom just for himself which connected directly to the guestroom, but now it looked like it would be unusable for some time. Apparently one of the pipes had broken, and the whole floor had been flooded. The plumbers they had called were taking a look on it right now and it really didn’t seem good.

“Of course I would allow you to use the main bathroom, but it surely must be absolutely inconvenient for you to change the floor every time.”

Tetsuro nearly snorted, but held back every sarcastic comment he had in his mind and simply smiled.

“So it probably would be for the best, if you used Kenma’s bathroom for now, since you’re with him all the time anyway.”

With a small side glance Tetsuro could see the indifferent expression on the teenager’s face, and he nodded. “That is no problem at all.”

The woman apologized once again to him, before she went to talk to the workmen. “I hope you don’t mind,” he quietly said to Kenma.

The blond shook his head. “No, it’s ok. Like mom said, you’re with me all the time anyway.”

After just a few days it became obvious that it actually was kind of annoying for both of them, but it wasn’t like they could do anything about it. Kenma’s room was on the third floor, along with the guestroom Tetsuro was staying in, but there wasn’t a general bathroom on the floor. He could have been relocated to one of the guestrooms one floor below, but Tetsuro had to be with Kenma immediately in the case of an emergency, so that was no option either. In the end they just had to bear it for a few weeks.

-

_  At the last moment he dodged the fierce attack of that ugly monster before him and backed up a few steps to catch his breath. He definitely had to use a “swallow” and he had to use it fast, if he wanted to survive long enough to finish his quest. _

“Kenmaaaa!”

_ His silver sword in one hand he concentrated his magic in the other palm and tried to remember which sign was the most effective against Wyverns.  _ Aard _, he decided. He was pretty sure that it was_ Aard _. Probably._

“Kenma, listen to me.”

The blond teenager sighed deep and shifted his gaze to the whining man next to him. 

Over the course of the last few weeks Kenma had perceived Kuro as a mature man, who took his job very seriously and has also helped him out with a piece of advice now and then, but right now it seemed like the raven wanted to do _everything_ to prove Kenma wrong.

“What is it, Kuro?” he asked, slightly annoyed that he had been disrupted.

“I’m bored, Kenma. Aren’t you bored, too?” Kuro asked with a small pout. “You’re always just playing games. Why don’t we do something different today? Like, going into town or something?”

It was really hard for Kenma not to frown in that moment. “Do you need to buy something?”

“That’s not it,” came the answer with a sigh that was nearly as deep as Kenma’s previous one. “But we can just go watch a movie or go to a karaoke bar.” As he noticed the very displeased look on the teenager’s face, he added, “Or at least do some window shopping.”

“I’d rather not.” With that declaration, Kenma deemed the conversation finished and returned to his game.

_ The telekinetic wave rendered the wings of the large wyvern useless for the moment, and the monster fell with a loud thud. He immediately made use of the moment by jumping forward and attacking the large head of the beast, inducing a lot of damage. _

“Kenma.”

The low voice next to his ear sent a shiver down his spine and for a moment he reveled in that feeling, enjoying how his body tingled all the way down to his toes. But when he noticed – really _noticed_ – the closeness of his bodyguard, he jolted away a little.

“Let’s do something?” Kuro asked and tilted his head with an innocent smile.

Oh, Kenma definitely wanted to do _something_ , or more precisely a lot of different somethings. Ever since that night they went to the kitchen together and he saw Kuro in his sleeping attire, he wanted nothing more than to run his hands and his tongue over that nearly godlike body. And even though the raven had worn a tank top in addition to his boxer briefs, Kenma had definitely seen enough to be indescribably thankful that Kuro worked out almost every day. It wasn’t like his bodyguard was bulky or pumped, but bless those thick thighs and _those arms_!

Kenma gulped heavily at this memory, which has been haunting him for more than one night already.

Only the imagination of digging his nails into those biceps, while feeling Kuro’s weight on top of him, made Kenma’s whole body hot and bothered. So, yes, he really wanted to do _something_ with Kuro.

The sound of the appearing Deathscreen on his TV snapped Kenma out of his thoughts and he felt his treacherous cheeks heat up, as he terminated the eye contact with his bodyguard. He let out another sigh and prayed that Kuro wouldn’t notice the slight shaking in his breath.

“Ok,” he said with a nod. “I could go buy some things I need for school and then we could look around the shopping district, if you want.”

A bright, cheerful smile nearly dazzled him and his already quick pulse accelerated even more at the sight of an extremely happy Kuro. That grin made him look so much younger than he was and Kenma just hoped that he would see it a lot more often from now on.

-

Tetsuro wasn’t quite sure why exactly Kenma had changed his mind about going out, but he sure as hell wouldn’t complain. Just strolling through town with the teenager, visiting random shops and pointing out anything remotely interesting – and anything strange – was surprisingly fun. But maybe he shouldn’t be surprised at all, since they got along really well most of the time.

They started – as planned – at a stationer to get a few school supplies for Kenma. The teenager disappeared in some aisle and Tetsuro stayed at the front, looking around the products. He discovered a revolving frame filled with Birthday-cards – among others –, read through all the silly slogans and looked at the goofy animal pictures. Especially those with cats made him smile.

He had always loved cats and even had kept one himself, when he was a teenager. Loved the way his black tomcat had comforted him, when he needed it the most, how warm he had been against his body and how soft his fur had felt against his hands. Kenma’s hair somehow had a similar texture, he remembered with a soft chuckle, but he better kept it to himself. The teenager probably didn’t like to be comparedto a cute animal, even if the resemblance was extremely prominent in his opinion.

After he had skimmed through the entire stand, he looked around for something other to spend his time on when his wandering gaze stopped on a few notebooks. He picked up a black one and started to turn it in his hand, examining every spot before opening it. The feeling of the rough leather felt good against his hands and he really liked the weight.

“You’re going to buy it?” a voice asked next to him.

He jumped a little at the sound and quickly turned around, only to see Kenma standing next to him, a plastic bag in one hand. “You’re really quiet when you walk, you know that?” Tetsuro huffed.

Kenma just shrugged. “So, are you?”

“It’s not like I need it,” the raven answered and let it fall back on the stack.

For a moment the teenager seemed to consider his words. “But you looked like you really wanted it.”

Tetsuro’s hands found his jeans pockets and he turned towards the exit. Only hesitantly he opened his mouth to reply. “My teacher in high school had a notebook that looked just like that and since I wanted to be like him, I also wanted such a notebook.”

“You wanted to be a teacher.”

“Yep, a long time ago,” he said shortly, not wanting to discuss this topic any further. He started to head for a book shop. “You said, you needed some books for school?”

The teenager didn’t probe any further. Sometimes Tetsuro was really thankful for Kenma’s perceptiveness. “Yeah, there’s some stuff we have to read.”

As soon as they stepped into the book shop they separated again, Kenma looking for the novels he needed and Tetsuro searching for something to refill his stock. Since he has been passing a lot of his time reading in a café recently, he regularly needed new books.

“You like sci-fi stories?” Kenma asked him, again appearing right next to him.

This time he didn’t get startled and simply looked down to the teenager. “Well, I don’t normally stick to one genre, but there are some really good science-fiction stories. I especially like this author.” He held up the book in his hand.

“I know that one,” Kenma replied with a nod. “I read his Starvalley trilogy. Especially the part where the main character finds the cave is really interesting. And the way he describes all the different stones and gems is exceptionally beautifully written.”

Tetsuro looked at the blond boy next to him and for a moment his answer got stuck in his throat, as he saw Kenma’s eyes glow with excitement. An involuntary smile spread at that sight. “Yeah, I liked that too.”

They continued to talk about some more books both of them had read and recommended each other a few stories, before Tetsuro decided on two different books and both of them went to pay.

After strolling around in a few more shops, they spotted a small café across the street. “You want to take a break?” the bodyguard asked.

Kenma answered with a small nod.

In the café they mostly ate and drank in silence, just enjoying the atmosphere and each other’s presence. But apparently Kenma couldn’t contain his curiosity anymore and he watched Tetsuro intently, his hands fidgeting restlessly in his lap. The raven only smiled in amusement. 

“Why didn’t you go to a university, if you wanted to be a teacher?” the teenager finally asked. “As I see it, you probably would have made it, wouldn’t you?

Tetsuro’s hand stopped on the way to his mouth and he slowly put the cup down again. He frowned a little. “I … I really wanted to,” he sighed. “And I’m pretty sure that I would indeed have made it. But there were some … circumstances, so sadly I couldn’t.”

Even though the question was prominent in those golden orbs, again Kenma didn’t ask any further questions. For a moment Tetsuro just wanted to leave it at that, but then decided to just give in. “My dad wasn’t really the supportive type and literally kicked me out right after my high school graduation. So I was busy with managing to live on my own and hadn’t any time or money to go to university. And after I started to work at the bodyguard agency I was busy. It isn’t really a job with much free time. And I owe Kiyoko – my boss – way too much to simply stop now. She more or less saved my life back then.” Only the thought of his father pissed him off even after all these  years, but when he thought back on the day Kiyoko had found him and taken him in, a warm feeling flooded his body and he was incredibly thankful and probably would be for the rest of his life.

Kenma clearly hadn’t expected a story like that and he was a little at a loss of words, but his face gave nothing away. Or at least close to nothing. Slowly Tetsuro learned reading all those small signals in the teenager’s face and especially in his eyes. “And your mother?” he silently asked.

“She died when I was five.”

“I’m sorry,” Kenma said with a frown.

Tetsuro just shrugged. “Don’t be. She hadn’t been a very good mother anyways. She drank a lot and it also was the alcohol that finally killed her.” The teenager still looked like he regretted to have ever mentioned it, but Tetsuro just chuckled at his expression. “You really don’t have to look like that, everything is fine. Honestly. My life is good now, and I’m not looking back anymore.” And that was the simple truth.

After a moment, Kenma nodded and somehow the raven got the feeling that they had had this kind of conversation a few times already. They dropped the topic and just continued to eat. Thankfully the silence between them never had been uncomfortable.

Their next stop was at a sports shop – of course only because of Tetsuro. At first he was just content with looking around a little, before he stopped in front of the balls. A wave of nostalgia crashed over him, as his fingers glided about the smooth leather of a volleyball. How long has it been since the last time he played?

He had been in his high school team and after his graduation he had played with his friends sometimes. But that also had been years ago. “Do you play any sports?” he asked directed at Kenma.

“I played volleyball in middle school,” the teenager slowly replied.

Tetsuro beamed at him. “Really? That’s cool! I played, too.” And then he had an – in his opinion – amazing idea. He grabbed a ball and made his way towards the check-out.

“What are you doing?” Kenma asked, his voice covered in suspicion.

Tetsuro just grinned at him and continued on his way.

-

It was seriously fun to just go into the park and play volleyball, and Tetsuro felt like a teenager again. Since it was sunny outside, they just went to a park not far from the shopping district and luckily found a free spot, and even though it had been years for both of them, they quickly got into a steady rhythm of passing the ball back and forth.

Most of the time he grinned, while Kenma didn’t seem enthusiastic at all, especially in the beginning. But there was a quirk in his lips and a small glistening in his eyes, so Tetsuro was pretty convinced that the teenager had fun too. They casually chatted about different topics and time just flew by without any of them really noticing. Only when Kenma’s face was beet red and he was breathing heavily, they decided to take a break and simply sat down in the grass.

“Why did you even stop playing?” Tetsuro asked after a few silent moments. “You’re pretty good, you know?”

He noticed the slight tensing of Kenma’s shoulders, as Kenma averted his gaze and shrugged a little. “I just joined the team in middle school because my father had forced me.”

“And he didn’t force you in high school?”

“I refused and told him that I needed to concentrate on studying. It wasn’t really fun anyway.”

Tetsuro snorted. “It certainly didn’t look like you had _no_ fun right now.”

“That was different,” Kenma mumbled, a faint blush spreading on his cheeks.

The raven’s eyes widened a little at that sight, before his lips turned up into a sly smirk. It could surely be interesting to tease the teenager a little. So he slightly leaned to his side, intruding the other’s personal space. “Oh? How exactly was that different, Kenma?”

Kenma backed away a little. “I didn’t…” A wet drop on top of his head startled him and he looked up. Tetsuro followed his gaze. “Is it raining?”

There certainly were dark clouds in the sky. Horrifyingly dark clouds, which hadn’t been there five minutes ago. “Oh shit,” Tetsuro cursed, as he also felt rain drops on his skin. And before either of them could really react, it started to pour down so heavily as if the sky’s gates themselves were opened.

Jumping up, Tetsuro grabbed the ball and looked at the teenager. “Let’s run to the bus stop!”

Kenma quickly nodded and they started to run into the right direction.

-

Of course they were completely drenched when they got home and Kenma immediately went to his room. He wanted to get out of the wet clothes, take a – preferably hot – shower and finally dry himself. And judging by the way Kuro looked, he didn’t feel different. Only when they got to his floor, Kenma remembered the broken pipe in the guestroom and how the general bathroom on the first floor had no shower.

“I’ll get you a towel,” he announced as they passed his door. He grabbed a fresh towel from his bathroom and went to his room again, handing the dark blue cotton piece to his bodyguard. “I’ll shower really quickly, so that you can go in next, ok?”

“Sure, no problem,” the older male answered and took the towel with a thankful nod.

Kenma couldn’t remember to have ever showered this quickly, but he could imagine how disgusted Kuro must feel at the moment. But even as he hurried, he thought back on his day, remembering nearly every single moment of it.

It had been fun. More fun than he had in a long time.

He hadn’t felt anxious as he normally did with so many strangers around and he couldn’t deny that the reason was probably Kuro. His carefree nature and his stupid comments on every little thing were strangely endearing and have always made him smile a little, even if he would never admit that. And having seen him having fun like a child while they have played volleyball, has done something to his heart that definitely wasn’t good – not good at all.

A deep sigh left his lips as soon as he stepped out of his shower and dried himself off, before he quickly slid into some fresh clothes. He continued to ruffle his hair with a soft towel, while he exited his bathroom.

“Kuro, I’m finished, you can-” His voice got stuck inside his throat as soon as his bodyguard came into his field of view.

And oh boy, _what a sight he was!_

Kuro tried to dry his hair, which made his normally unruly hairstyle even more unruly and he had taken his shirt off. Kenma gulped, as his eyes wandered over light skin, which spanned over firm muscles. He had already gotten the chance to admire his arms – and he still _really_ appreciated them –, but _holy shit_ those pecs and abs. His mouth went completely dry with the need to kiss, to lick, to simply _touch_ the man before him.

His eyes glided down to Kuro’s jeans and he glared at them, as if they had personally offended him. He wanted to see those thighs again, he wanted to see his – probably really attractive – back muscles, he wanted to see his ass, he wanted to see _everything_.

He nearly took a step forward, as Kuro’s voice teared him from his trance. “Kenma, are you alright?”

“What?” The teenager’s eyes shot up to meet his bodyguard’s gaze.

“You stared a little,” Kuro explained with a light chuckle, a crooked smirk spreading over his face.

_ Oh fuck. _ Kenma gulped again. “I-I’m sorry, you ju-” He had to clear his throat, to get the trembling out of his voice. “You just surprised me a little, that’s all.”

The reply was an amused hum, but he didn’t comment. “Well then, I’m going to take a shower now.”

Kenma nodded and Kuro walked past him towards the bathroom. The teenager stole a glance over his shoulders.

_ I was right _ , Kenma thought to himself. _Really attractive back muscles._

-

Kenma couldn’t remember the last time he was this nervous to go to school. Actually it wasn’t school per se he was nervous about, but seeing Shouyou. Yesterday night while he had been lying awake, and loud thoughts had roamed through his head, he had decided that he had to talk to someone. He simply couldn’t figure out what to do and he really hoped that his friend could help him. So he would grab Shouyou during their lunch break and talk to him in private.

As he approached the front door of his school, his fingers trembled a little. Inside he went to his locker and started to take his shoes off.

But what exactly should he tell Shouyou? That his bodyguard was really hot? His friend already knew his opinion about that and he even shared it. That he desperately wanted to touch the man and even more, be touched by him? He didn’t want to seem so needy. He obviously _was_ needy, but that’s not something anyone had to know. Another deep sigh left his mouth.

When he reached for his indoor shoes, Kenma hesitated and stopped his hand midair, eyes locked on a white piece of paper. There was a letter inside his shoe locker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it very obvoius how much I'm in love with Kuro? *starts sweating* But let's be honest that guy really _is_ hot as hell x3  
>  Please tell me how you liked it and if there are some things I can do better :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how happy all your comments are making me. And there already are so many Hits and Kudos in only 3 chapters x3 Thank you guys so much!  
> Anyway, here is the new chapter and well, there are things happening. Hehe :3  
> Hope you guys like it :)
> 
> As always many thanks to my beta-readers -my little sister and my dear friend Velexica

There was more than one reason Kenma didn’t like the presence of his bodyguard in the back of his class room.

First there was the fact he hasn’t liked from the beginning: the constant observing. He didn’t need anyone to continuously watch his every step – even if it was Kuro –, but he has borne it. And now he wouldn’t even get a break from the observations during his school time. The only time could be alone now was during the night, however he didn’t know how long it would stay this way thanks to his paranoid father.

He also got way too much attention from his fellow students and his teachers – like expected – and everyone wanted to know why he needed a bodyguard. Not that he would tell anyone, and Kuro did him the favor to only smile without answering, when he was approached.

The third reason was something Kuro had warned about, but Kenma himself never would have guessed. The raven’s presence constantly reminded him of the threatening letter he had found in his shoe locker just a few days ago, and by now it somehow made him nervous. Someone had gone out of his way to write two different letters just to threaten him, and the second one even mentioned how unhappy the author was about Kuro being with Kenma all the time. Someone who knew where he went to school and who seemingly had access to the building. Someone who perhaps went to this school himself. Someone Kenma might even know.

The next point was… complicated. Like Kenma had noticed on their first official day together, his eyes always drifted to Kuro when they were in the same room, and even though the bodyguard just sat silently in the back and read one of his books, he was incredibly distracting. And poor Kenma, being a teenage boy full of unwanted hormones, was constantly being betrayed by his brain and his extremely lively imagination. Of course that wasn’t exactly what his mind should busy itself with during his lessons. But one look into the raven’s attractive face and he was done for.

Which lead him to his last and perhaps greatest problem. There were way too many people – mostly girls – who have noticed Kuro’s good looks and have approached him because of it. It extremely irritated Kenma. Even one of the teachers had wanted to speak to Kuro in private, but of course his bodyguard had refused. He had simply stated how he needed to stay with Kenma all the time, which had obviously displeased the woman. For some reason Kenma had been in a really good mood that afternoon.

Due to the whole commotion, Kenma also hasn’t been able to speak with Shouyou yet, so he still struggled with the initial problem on his own. Hell, he didn’t even know what exactly his initial problem _was_. And of course, now there was no way he could see Shouyou in private during their lunch breaks. Perhaps he should just force his friend to come over to his house this weekend. He really, _really_ hoped that the ginger could help him.

-

These last few days Tetsuro has been pissed. Wait no, pissed wasn’t the right word. He had been _furious._ It had been really hard not to simply punch someone – preferably the author of that fucking threatening letter. He couldn’t even go to the gym to release his anger at some training equipment.

The letter made it painfully obvious that the author didn’t threaten Kenma because of something his father had done, but solely because of Kenma himself. The perpetrator had written things about Kenma he actually shouldn’t know, things which proved that he has been close to the teenager several times without anyone having noticed.  And that’s exactly what he wanted – to make Kenma nervous, to make him feel watched. He wanted Kenma to fear for his life.

Tetsuro would never forget the phone call he got, just after he had dropped Kenma at school. It hadn’t been an emergency call, so Tetsuro had been a little confused as he answered his phone. The slight shaking in Kenma’s breath and the fearful shivering in his voice had frozen Tetsuro’s blood and he had nearly slammed the breaks of his car.

An innocent teenager shouldn’t have to fear for his life like this. _Kenma_ shouldn’t have to fear for his life. Or for anything else, if you asked him.

If the raven ever got the perpetrator into his hands, Tetsuro would show him what it meant to fear for one’s life. He would do so blissfully slowly and he would savor every second of it.

“Kuro, are you coming?”

Kenma’s voice caught his attention and his eyes shot up to meet golden ones. The teenager stood impatiently next to his desk and waited for him to join him for lunch. Slowly Tetsuro let a crooked smirk spread on his face, as he lazily stretched on his chair. “Sorry, but your math classes are so boring I nearly fell asleep.”

Kenma snorted silently. “Don’t complain to me, I’m suffering myself. The teacher can’t explain at all.”

With a smile Tetsuro stood up and grabbed his jacket to follow the blond teenager to the cafeteria. 

As always it was very lively in the hallways and the air was buzzing with conversations. Tetsuro was simply glad that they were left alone, because it certainly hadn’t been that way the first days he had joined Kenma in school. Of course he had known beforehand that he would attract a lot of attention – he certainly didn’t look like a high school student anymore –, but the amount of giggling teenage girls, who had come up to him, had been ridiculous. And, if he had to be honest, really annoying. But who could blame him that his type weren’t exactly brats going through their worst stage of puberty?

And apart from it being annoying, it was also unnecessarily distracting. It shouldn’t be overly surprising that Kenma’s breaks were the time, when Tetsuro’s attention was at his peak. After all it was highly unlikely that someone would attack during a lesson, but during lunch time, when half of the school was in the same place and everything was hectic, it was fairly easy to sneak up to a person.

That was also why Tetsuro never walked beside Kenma, but always two steps behind him. Kenma had found it strange at first and had been really against it, but when it came to the teenager’s safety Tetsuro never would make compromises – even if he still was completely convinced that it was safe inside the school.

 At the cafeteria they quickly got something to eat, before they joined Kenma’s friends at the usual table.  On the first day Tetsuro had been a little surprised about the quality of the food – it tasted actually good, something he definitely hadn’t expected from a school cafeteria. Not that he would complain. Now he simply enjoyed it.

The first day also had been kind of awkward concerning Kenma’s friends, as they had been a little uncomfortable around him. But since the orange haired shrimp behaved normal – after all they already knew each other – the rest didn’t seem to bother for too long. And by now their conversations flowed naturally again, even including Tetsuro sometimes.

“Your girlfriend must be really annoyed that you spend so little time with her, right Kuroo-san?” Nishinoya asked him at one point.

The conversation at the table seemed to have shifted to relationships, without Tetsuro noticing. He snorted a little. “What girlfriend?”

“A boyfriend then?” Hinata mused innocently, which earned him several shocked looks from the other guys, but Tetsuro certainly didn’t care.

“Nope, no boyfriend either.”

The shrimp chuckled. “But you didn’t deny the possibility.”

“No, I didn’t,” Tetsuro answered and skeptically raised an eyebrow. He didn’t really see where the ginger planned to go with that. But he decided to simply tease them with his famous smirk. “Which doesn’t mean you should try and flirt with me.”

 “Ew, you’re way too old to even consider it,” Hinata grimaced, but one could see the fakeness.

Tetsuro only snorted. “Says the brat.”

Obviously offended Hinata huffed and crossed the arms in front of his chest. He just wanted to fire something back, as a feminine voice disrupted their bickering.

“Um, you’re Kuroo-san, right?”

A small frown formed on Tetsuro’s face, but he willed it away before he turned around to look at the two shy girls. He really didn’t need that again.

As the gentleman he was, he showed nothing of his displeasure. “Yes, that’s right.” He gently smiled at them.

The blonde, who probably was the one that had called out to him, profusely blushed and a small shove from her friend was necessary for her to continue to speak. “I’m sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to know, if I perhaps could talk to you for a small moment?”

He flashed her a crooked grin. “You _are_ talking with me, aren’t you?”

If possible she blushed even harder. “Ye-yeah, of course, but… I’d really like to talk to you alone. Just for a minute.”

“Listen, dear,” he said after a silent sigh, “if you know who I am, you certainly know why I’m here, right?”

The blonde’s eyes darted over to Kenma, who didn’t even seem to follow the conversation, before she muttered an “Of course” and nodded.

“Then you should also know that I’m actually working right now. And since my work is really important to me, I have to take it seriously. So, I’m sorry, but I’m staying with Kenma.” Again he friendly smiled at her, hoping that she would leave him alone after that.

“N-no, I should be sorry to impose myself on you like this,” she quickly came to terms with his excuse and shook her head. “I totally understand, your work is really significant after all.”

“Thank you, that’s really nice of you.”

By now not only her cheeks were red, but her whole face and ears as well. She nodded again, before she and her friend quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Glad that they were gone, Tetsuro sighed again and turned back to his food. “Don’t you have some kinds of popular guys here that the girls can annoy?”

Kenma looked at him with a strange look, before answering, “If you didn’t encourage them, they probably wouldn’t bother you all the time.”

“Huh? How the hell was that even close to encouraging?”

The golden eyes grew large and Kenma muttered something Tetsuro didn’t understand, before slowly shaking his head.

Tetsuro’s eyebrows rose in confusion. “Is everything alright, Kenma?”

“Yeah. Yeah, everything’s fine.” For a moment the teenager was silent, before he turned to his friend. “Do you have time to come over to my house today, Shouyou?”

The ginger seemed a little confused at the sudden question, but soon a bright smile formed on his face. “Yes, of course.”

Kenma simply nodded and the conversation shifted to other topics.

More than a little confused, Tetsuro eyed the teenager next to him. Sometimes he really couldn’t tell what Kenma was thinking.

-

They were already playing games for more than two hours – Kenma had beaten Shouyou in Guitar Hero, Street Fighter, Forza and Super Smash Bros. –, when Shouyou sat his controller down on the table and sighed. “So, what did you want to talk about?” he inquired.

Kenma flinched a little, but didn’t take his eyes of the character screen, trying to choose between Zero Suit Samus and The Villager. “Talk? What do you mean?”

“Don’t even try, Kenma,” Shouyou snorted. “You never invite me over for no reason – not that I’m angry, I can just invite myself – and you seem to have been thinking about something for several weeks now.”

Sometimes Kenma was really surprised at how perceptive his friend was, even if he often didn’t seem that way. “I… Can we just keep playing for now?” he whined and like expected, Shouyou sighed.

“Well, I can’t force you, I guess.”

The narrator of the game announced the new round and soon Shouyou’s shouts and curses rang through the room again. Kenma’s hands moved instinctively only using half of his attention, while he tried to formulate the words in his head. But he quickly came to the conclusion that there wouldn’t be an easy way to explain it.

“I think I have a problem,” he slowly started, as soon as he had won again.

“Hm?”

“It’s about Kuro.”

“Huh.”

Kenma looked at him angrily, but Shouyou just innocently waited for him to continue. With a deep sigh, Kenma averted his eyes and stroked his bangs out of his face. “I think, I like him.”

“Well, he is a pretty nice guy.” Shouyou frowned. “Even if he says really mean things sometimes.”

“No, Shouyou, I _like_ him.”

“Oh.” Then it seemed to dawn on him, and his eyes widened. “ _Oh._ ”

“Yeah.”

That was everything that has been said between them for quite a while and Shouyou started to stare at the ceiling, obviously musing about what Kenma just had confessed to him.

“You can’t just tell him,” the ginger remarked.

Kenma sighed. “I know that much myself.”

“Well, yeah, I guess,” Shouyou said with a happy laughter and again Kenma looked at him with a frown. Then his friend’s face suddenly lit up. “But didn’t he just say today that he also dates guys? That’s good for you.”

“That’s really not the only problem, Shouyou.”

“Hm, well I guess there’s still the age difference.”

“And the fact that he is practically working for me,” Kenma deadpanned. _And that there’s no way that he’s even interested in me._ But he didn’t say that out loud, after all there was no need to reveal his weakness.

“Hm.” Shouyou seemed to ponder again. “Actually he isn’t working for you, but your father, you know?”

Kenma frowned. Why had he thought his friend could help him again? “That doesn’t really make a difference.”

“Of course, it does! You don’t have an employee-client relationship, so it’s definitely less scandalous.” Kenma wouldn’t believe it, if he didn’t see it himself, but Shouyou actually seemed to be excited.

“I don’t care, if it’s scandalous or not, it’s not  _ working _ .”

At that Shouyou shook his head. “You don’t know that, until you try.”

Kenma’s face screwed up at that thought. “I can’t just jump him.”

The ginger’s mouth gaped open, only to shut again, before he started to giggle. “You definitely could try it.”

“Shouyou,” Kenma groaned in annoyance.

“Ok, ok, sorry.” Shouyou took a deep breath and calmed down. “Hm… Then you just have to find out, whether he also likes you. Like, sneakily asking questions and stuff, you know? Or if you don’t want to jump him, then you could try to seduce him and see if he jumps you.”

After he shook off his initial shock, Kenma sighed. “Really? Seduce him? That’s your idea?”

Shouyou flinched a little, as he was chided like this. “I’m sorry, I never had to deal with stuff like that.”

“That’s right, Kageyama was pretty conspicuous after all,” Kenma huffed.

Like he had expected, Shouyou immediately blushed and looked at his hands. “Well… yeah. Sorry, that I can’t help you.”

A small sigh left Kenma’s lips. “It’s ok, don’t worry.” They went back to their game.

After a few minutes, Shouyou started to speak again. “Kenma,” he slowly started.

“Hm?”

“Please don’t think that you have no chance at all. I think Kuroo-san really likes you.”

Kenma wasn’t sure about that at all, but he simply uttered a small, “Yeah, thank you.”

-

Talking with Shouyou hadn’t helped Kenma _at all._

And by now he was convinced that his thoughts would continue to haunt him, especially in moments like this, at night when he was alone with his head.

He couldn’t lie to himself anymore. He had fallen for his bodyguard and he had fallen hard.

At first it just had been Kuro’s looks that had attracted him, but that has changed over time. It were the small things which made his heart flutter like a butterfly.

Like the way he could just enjoy Kuro’s presence without the other bothering or judging him, because of what he did. Like the way Kuro patiently sat with him, when he made his homework and even helped him out, when he asked. Like all the small comments Kuro made on the most random things, that always managed to make Kenma smile a little. Like the way Kuro smiled sometimes, brightly like a small child. Like the way his eyes had sparkled, when they had played volleyball. Like Kuro’s nearly omnipresent smirk that was proof of his seemingly endless confidence.

Like that night Kuro had comforted Kenma, when he had woken up because of a stupid nightmare.

Like the way he had suddenly felt safe as soon as Kuro had been with him, when he had called because of the letter.

Kenma swallowed and turned in his bed to lie on his back and blankly stare at his ceiling. He should stop this, stop the way he felt.

Kuro was his bodyguard and as soon as this annoying case was finished, he would leave Kenma’s life forever. It was a really dumb idea to invest any energy or any thoughts in something that would never work.

But he couldn’t help feeling attracted to him in a sexual way and that was completely ok … right? It shouldn’t be a problem, if Kuro never noticed it. And even if he should notice – he certainly knew about his effect on people and was probably used to it already. Kenma didn’t think that the raven would be disgusted because he was a guy, Kuro wasn’t the type to judge people based on something like this. And he _hadn’t_ protested against the possibility of having a boyfriend.

So it was ok to think about how attractive Kuro looked like with that crooked smirk. Or how his hair always had that “just-had-sex” look, in the morning even more so than usual. There was also the way he ran a hand through his black strands, when he was in lost thought, which had soon become one of Kenma’s absolute favorite sights and of course it had to do with the way his biceps would flex.

Kenma thought back on that moment, when he had come out of his shower only to see Kuro standing half naked inside his room. With closed eyes he tried to remember every centimeter of Kuro’s body, every defined muscle. He thought about the playful tone in Kuro’s voice, as his bodyguard had teased him. Or Kuro’s voice, when he just woke up and one could still hear the slight rasp in it.

Kenma thought about the low whisper, which he had already been granted to hear once.

_ “Kenma.” _

A shiver ran down his spine and spread deliciously throughout his whole body, exactly like on that day.  It was ok to want to hear Kuro speaking in such a low voice again.

Heat started to light just beneath his skin, as he kept his eyes closed and let his mind run free. He imagined how Kuro’s big hands would  lie on his waist and how he would pull him closer, before   gently pushing him back onto his couch. The raven would lean above him, his caramel eyes glowing with want and desire, as his one hand would lift the hem of his shirt to slightly touch the skin on his side. His hand burns on Kenma’s skin, and he immediately wants more of that delicious heat.

“Kenma,” Kuro whispers again, right next to his ear and Kenma tightly holds on to the fabric of Kuro’s shirt to keep him close. They look into each other’s eyes, before Kuro closes the distance and their lips finally – _fucking finally_ – meet in their first kiss. It is passionate, full of hot promises and both of them want it to last forever.

Kenma’s one hand started to wander under his shirt, as he pictured Kuro doing the same, and with his other hand he started to palm his hardening member through his boxers. He thought about how Kuro would definitely start letting his mouth caress his neck, as one of his hands finds Kenma’s nipple. He pinches it and Kenma wriggles underneath him, letting out a shocked yelp.

He pushed his boxers down and he let his hand close around his erection, slowly starting to caress it. He envisioned Kuro’s hands all over his body and how impatiently he would undress him. As soon as Kenma’s shirt and pants are gone, his bared skin gets licked and bitten at every available spot.

A soft moan left Kenma’s lips, as he fantasized about Kuro’s strained voice, letting out small sounds of pleasure. Kuro would be the type to talk a lot during sex, wouldn’t he? Oh _fuck_ , Kenma could practically hear the raven talking lowly into his ear, whispering all kinds of dirty things to him, telling him how hot Kenma looks squirming underneath him. Kuro would tell him exactly what he planned on doing and Kenma would shiver in anticipation, reveling in the deep sound of Kuro’s voice.

By now Kenma’s hand quickly stroked his shaft while bringing up his other hand to suck on his own fingers, like he wanted to suck on Kuro’s dick. But it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t even close to what he needed. He wanted Kuro on top of him, behind him, just _inside_ of his empty hole, he just _needed_ him _right now._

Kenma kicked the way too heavy blanket off of him and squirmed a little on his bed, before he widely parted his legs and brought his wet fingers to his entrance.

-

It was completely dark when Tetsuro woke up with a deep groan. He rolled over on his other side to reach for his phone and he had to shield his eyes against the brightness. 2:13 AM. Why the hell did he wake up at such an ungodly hour, he asked himself, and groaned again. As he rolled on his back and stared on his ceiling, he let out a deep sigh and ruffled his hair a little. Since he was awake already, he could as well get up and go to the toilet.

He yawned as his feet hit the wooden floor and stretched himself a little. Standing up early enough to accompany Kenma to school did really make him tired – he actually loved to sleep in.

On his way to the bathroom he remembered the still broken pipe and how he would have to use Kenma’s bath. He stood in the middle of his room and pondered for a moment, if he really should go to Kenma’s room just for that, but his bladder took the decision off his shoulders. And who was he to argue with his bladder.

So he silently exited his room and went to the door next to it. He quickly turned the alarm off before he entered Kenma’s bedroom, as to not wake the teenager. Just as he closed the door behind him, he heard a small sound that caught his attention.

His senses were immediately alerted. There was the panting again and he was sure that there was someone besides him in the room. Only when his gaze stopped at Kenma’s bed did he realize _who_ exactly _it_ was that he had heard, and his eyes grew large in surprise and astonishment.

His whole body tensed up, as he eagerly took in the sight of Kenma kneeling on his bed, his backside lifted high up into the air.

The teenager’s body was illuminated by pale moonlight and Tetsuro saw the sweat glistening on his skin, as Kenma rapidly stroked his erection, the shaft already covered in his own precome. The fingers of his other hand were greedily swallowed by his hole, as he pumped them in and out at a quick rhythm. His thighs quivered in an effort to keep his body up and his head was pressed into the pillow, the face turned to the side so that he could breathe normally. His expression was contorted in lust and his eyes were shut tightly, his mouth slightly opened as he panted and repeatedly let out moans.

The whole picture left Tetsuro breathless and his hands curled into fists, so that he wouldn’t go over and reach out to Kenma. He desperately tried to keep control of his body, but his length obviously had other plans, as it happily twitched at the lewd sounds escaping Kenma’s lips.

“Fuck, Kuro,” the teenager moaned and for a moment Tetsuro feared that he’d been caught, only to see that Kenma’s eyes were still shut tightly. Tetsuro swallowed heavily.

“Kuro, please! Do it harder! I need to feel you deeper!”

_ Fuck! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I heard you guys like cliffhangers. Hehe :3  
> Btw, it's harder to write sex related scenes in your non-native language than I thought ^^'
> 
> Please tell me what you thought about this chapter :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter but please don't get used to the lenght, I doubt that I can manage this every week ^^' Since a lot of you looked forward to this chapter, I hope I managed to deliver and you guys like it x3
> 
> Thank you for all your continous support, I'm really glad that so many of you are enjoyning this :3 Let's spread the KuroKen love °3°/
> 
> And again many thanks to my little sister and my friend Velexica for beta-reading :)

Tetsuro’s whole body grew hot, as he watched Kenma feverishly pleasuring himself. From where Tetsuro stood, he had an excellent view of the teenager’s trembling legs which held his ass up high into the air. He swallowed heavily and his hands   were quivering on both of his sides, while he listened to all the delicious sounds that escaped Kenma’s lips.

“Kuro,” the teenager moaned throaty. “Oh _god_ , I need you so bad, Kuro! Please fuck me harder!”

And _fuck,_ Tetsuro wanted to do that exactly. And with every second he remembered less reasons why he should hold himself back.

“Deeper … I need … Deeper!”

A shaky breath left his lungs and one of his hands ran through his hair, as he suppressed a curse. He was the adult, he needed to hold back, to be reasonable…

“ _Kuro!”_

Fuck being reasonable! He wanted Kenma and the teenager clearly wanted him too, so why the hell should he deny both of their desires?

Silently he walked over to the bed and only stopped when Kenma was just within his reach. So he extended his arm and slowly let the tips of his fingers run over one round ass cheek, feeling the slight film of sweat.

Kenma turned around in shock, his hands falling to the bed to push himself up a little, and looked at him with huge eyes. “Ku-Kuro, I-” His voice shivered and a beautiful blush spread across his cheeks. 

Unintentionally Tetsuro licked his lips, and fully grabbed the flesh with both hands, starting to slowly massage it. “So you want me to help you?” he asked with a low voice.

Golden eyes searched his gaze in the dark and Tetsuro could see the confusion in the younger male’s face, but he just silently stood behind him und continued to rub the sweaty skin. After a moment he licked a few of his fingers to wet them and started to circle Kenma’s now empty hole. And then he waited.

One could clearly see something click in Kenma’s head and he let out a small whimper, before he hastily nodded. “Yes! Yes, please!” He let himself fall to the bed again, presenting his ass to the raven.

A smirk spread on Tetsuro’s face and he slowly inserted two fingers into the quivering entrance. Kenma’s moan went straight into his crotch and a shiver ran down his spine as he noticed how easily his fingers slipped in, imagining how it would feel around his own erection. “Look at how greedily your hole swallows my fingers,” he commented with a deep, pleased growl. “Are you that desperate for me to touch you?”

“Kuro, please,” Kenma whined. “I’m already stretched, stop teasing.”

Tetsuro let out an amused hum and added a third finger, enjoying the way the ring of muscles clenched around him. He already loved Kenma’s small gasps so he continued to slowly move his fingers, stroking the inner walls, trying to get more of those delicious sounds. When the teenager’s whole body tensed up, Tetsuro stopped for a moment, before grazing the same spot again. A knowing smirk spread on his face.

“Your own fingers are too short to reach here, aren’t they?”

Excessive nodding was the answer and Kenma loudly moaned, when Tetsuro pressed right into his prostate. “Oh _fuck_ , do that again!”

Tetsuro complied with a satisfied smile and his whole body shivered, when Kenma moaned his name again. His own name had never sounded so good to him. Deeming the teenager ready, he withdrew his hand and lightly smacked one round ass cheek to make Kenma turn around. The shocked, but pleased gasp piqued his interest and he stored the information inside his mind. Maybe he could use that for later.

He took a step back to take in the sight of Kenma lying on his back, with his limbs spread on his sides, his chest heaving breaths and a sheen of sweat covering his fair skin. God, he had never appreciated pale moonlight more. It gave the skin a beautiful and delicious shine. Lastly he looked at Kenma’s face and he definitely liked the expression he saw there. An expression filled with pure lust and impatience.

Tetsuro licked his lips again and pulled his own underwear down a little to free his aching erection. Kenma’s gaze immediately followed his hands and his eyes started to glow in anticipation. Another smirk spread on Tetsuro’s lips. “You want that, don’t you?” he asked and slowly started to stroke himself.

Kenma quickly nodded, while his gaze stayed fixated on Tetsuro’s length, his breath growing   increasingly heavier and his pupils becoming dilated.

“How about you wet it a little, kitten?” Tetsuro purred. “I don’t want to hurt you after all.”

After a short moment Kenma’s eyes grew large in understanding and he eagerly started to crawl towards him, until his face was only centimeters away from Tetsuro’s groin area. Without hesitation a small hand closed around his shaft and Tetsuro let out a shaking breath. Who would have thought that Kenma would be so hungry in bed?

“Such a good boy,” Tetsuro praised and let a hand run through blond strands, as Kenma leaned forward and licked the head. Exactly like a kitten he let his tongue run over the entire length with small movements, wetting the hard flesh in the process. Then Kenma parted his lips and slowly took the erection inside his mouth, swallowing centimeter after centimeter. Tetsuro couldn’t decide what he liked more – the wet and hot feeling around his erection, the small sounds Kenma made, or the pleased expression on the teenager’s face.

“Yeah, like that,” Tetsuro murmured, while he suppressed a moan. “You’re doing great, kitten, keep going.”

Kenma mewled at the pet name and drew back a little, just to lean forward again to take even more of the length. After repeating the movement a few times, Tetsuro felt the head of his erection hitting the back of Kenma’s throat and he let out a deep moan. As Kenma swallowed around him, Tetsuro’s hand tightened in the teenager’s hair and all his muscles seemed to clench simultaneously. “Fuck, Kenma!” His voice was low and raspy. “You look so beautiful with my cock inside your mouth.” Kenma’s moan resonated through his body and he felt a familiar heat accumulating inside his stomach.

With squirming hips, Kenma let the erection pop out of his mouth and wantonly looked up to Tetsuro. “Kuro,” he whined, “please!”

Tetsuro’s thumb stroked Kenma’s lower lip, which was glistening with precome. Had he ever seen such a beautiful sight before? “Will you hold still for me, so that I can fuck that pretty mouth of yours?”

Another moan left Kenma’s mouth and he eagerly nodded. Then he shifted on the mattress, until he sat comfortably and obediently parted his lips, waiting for Tetsuro to move.

The sight of Kenma sitting vulnerably on his bed and handing all control over to Tetsuro, gave the older man a feeling similar to a high and his erection twitched expectantly. “Such a good boy,” he repeated and moved his hips forward. “Such a pretty, little kitten.” He bit his lower lip, as he watched his length slowly disappear into Kenma’s mouth again. The wet heat surrounding his shaft drew more shaky breaths from his mouth and his legs started to tremble slightly. He had to pay attention that he didn’t go too far, so he moved back only to thrust forward again. “You’re doing so well, Kenma, you’re being so perfect for me.”

His rhythm quickly accelerated, while he watched Kenma’s hand going to his own erection. They soon moved together and Tetsuro really had to hold himself back, so that he wouldn’t thrust too hard. For a moment he imagined to come all over Kenma’s face and _fuck_ the teenager would look good with sticky fluids on his skin, but his kitten looked at him with so much want in his eyes and he had been so good, how could he deny him any wishes? So he withdrew his erection and climbed onto the bed, pushing the confused teenager to the middle of the mattress and holding him down with the weight of his own body. Only centimeters, millimeters even, prevented their faces from touching.

“You were so good to me, Kenma, you deserve a reward,” he murmured against Kenma’s mouth. “How do you want it, kitten?”

He could feel Kenma’s tongue darting out, as he ran it over his own lips. “I want to see your face,” he shakily answered.

With a pleased hum, Tetsuro closed the small distance and softly started to kiss Kenma while his hands ran down the teenager’s body and came to a rest on quivering thighs. That was definitely something he wanted too – seeing all those erotic expressions Kenma would make for him. When the teenager parted his lips, Tetsuro immediately inserted his tongue and started to explore the wet cavern. At the same time he grabbed Kenma’s butt and lifted him up to get a better angle.

The head of his erection easily slipped into Kenma’s still stretched hole and the blonde broke the kiss to let out a loud moan, his whole body tensing up.

“Relax,” Tetsuro calmly instructed against his neck, as his hands rubbed small circles onto the younger one’s hips. He slightly licked the sweaty skin and placed open mouthed kisses all the way down to Kenma’s collarbones.

Kenma speechlessly nodded and focused on his breath. Shortly afterwards he loosened up, so that Tetsuro could push himself slowly further. He absolutely enjoyed how Kenma’s hot flesh wrapped around his length and he only stopped when he was seated balls-deep.

“You feel so good, kitten,” he whispered straight into Kenma’s ear. “So hot and tight, just for me. You’re so pretty, Kenma.”

The teenager shivered beneath him and lowly whimpered. “Kuro, please move!”

Tetsuro more than gladly complied and started to move his hips in a steady rhythm, reveling in Kenma’s moans. He continued to murmur praises onto Kenma’s skin, telling him how amazing he felt around him, how beautiful he looked. And _fuck_ , he really did look beautiful, his face expressing complete vulnerability and his eyes utterly dazed, lost in desire. On top of that came his moans, which rivalled every existing porn actor.

They moved together and gradually got faster, until Tetsuro changed his position, searching the perfect angle. He knew that he found it, when Kenma threw his head back with a loud scream and desperately clung to his shoulders.

“I’m so close! Kuro, please! So close!”

A groan left Tetsuro’s lips and he moved even faster, gripping Kenma’s hips to hit the same spot again and again. “It’s ok, Kenma, come for me!”

At these  words Kenma’s whole body tensed up and he came with a loud cry, eyes shut tightly and fingers digging into Tetsuro’s arms, probably leaving dark marks. Tetsuro loudly moaned at the feeling of tight walls clamping around him and continued to thrust, so close to his own orgasm. He only needed a few more thrusts…

Tetsuro awoke with his chest heaving out air of his lungs, his whole body covered in sweat. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, as his mind tried to process what he just had dreamt about.

Did he really…?

With shaking hands he lifted his blanket to look underneath, only to spot the slightly wet spot on his boxer briefs.

_ Fuck! _

A shaky breath left his lungs, as he threw his head back in a groan. At least he hadn’t come like teenager. But still he had a pretty impressive – and aching – erection.

Did he really just have a wet dream about Kenma? His ten years younger client?!

Tetsuro cursed again. He remembered that he had seen Kenma masturbating in his room and moaning his name in the process, but Tetsuro also remembered that he had silently left the room again. But apparently his mind hadn’t been content with his decision and had provided him with an extremely vivid dream, which hadn’t only been the best wet dream he has ever had in his life, but also the best sex he had in a long time. Not that he really _had_ had sex, but it certainly had felt that way.

And somehow Tetsuro got the impression that he wouldn’t be able to forget about it so easily.

-

Of course Tetsuro had been right and he wasn’t glad about it at all.

After having taken a cold shower to calm down – he had refused to jack off inside Kenma’s bathroom – he went down to the kitchen, where Kenma already sat eating his breakfast. Tetsuro greeted him with a gruff voice, overly aware of the teenager’s golden eyes darting to him, before they fixated on the food again. Quickly he made himself a coffee and something small to eat, before also sitting down at the table.

Right now the raven was incredibly thankful that Kenma wasn’t talkative, in the morning even less than normally and Tetsuro could simply focus on _not_ focusing on the teenager in front of him. But although he tried so hard – or maybe _because_ he tried so hard – his gaze found his way to Kenma and his mind gladly took in the sight of the blond, messy hair, the cute sleeping attire and the-

Tetsuro frowned. Kenma’s eyes looked incredibly tired. Not only in the ‘I-haven’t-slept-enough’ way, but also in the ‘there-are-so-many-thoughts-in-my-head-that-simply-won’t-shut-up’ way. At that sight Tetsuro drew a deep breath.

He hasn’t taken the time yet to think about what Kenma’s actions meant, what the teenager had _felt_ as he had obviously thought about Tetsuro. Of course the raven had noticed how often Kenma had looked at him and how he always had blushed a little, when he was caught, Tetsuro wasn’t blind after all. But he would never have guessed that it was more than curiousness and shyness.

Now it hit him like a punch in the gut.

_ Shit! _

“Are you alright, Kenma?” he softly asked, slowly reaching for a thin forearm.

Kenma looked up at him and the intense expression made Tetsuro swallow. His mind immediately provided him with pictures out of his dream filled with Kenma’s eyes glowing passionately for completely different reasons. He bit his tongue and pushed those thoughts into a deep corner inside his head.

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” the blonde quickly affirmed, before he looked down again.

“You sure? You don’t really look fine.”

“It’s just-” There was a hint of uncertainty flashing over his face and he grimaced a little. “I’m just tired, I guess. I didn’t really sleep well.”

Something different hit Tetsuro. Guilt.

There he was selfishly thinking about how he should handle what happened last night and Kenma was probably still trying to ignore his fears and continuing  with living  normally, even though there was someone close by, who wanted to seriously harm and possibly even kill him.

While leaning back in his chair, Tetsuro kept his eyes fixated on Kenma’s slender statue. He had to protect Kenma, had to make him feel safe. And he wanted to see his small, carefree smile again – Kenma was only seventeen, for fuck’s sake – without wondering about what his thoughts could mean.

“Do you have something planned for today?”

Tetsuro nearly smiled at the cautious expression, which spread on Kenma’s face, as the teenager eyed him warily. “I don’t. Do you want to go into town again?”

With a smirk, Tetsuro shook his head. “No, I want to show you something.” A small laugh left his lungs. “No need to be so suspicious. I won’t eat you, I promise.”

Kenma’s eyes only narrowed further, but he didn’t protest. Tetsuro only continued to grin and he finished his meal in a slightly better mood, looking forward to the afternoon.

-

Kenma would lie if he said that he wasn’t curious about what Kuro had planned on doing. He was even more curious about the fact that the raven told him to take sports clothes with him. After all Kenma wasn’t really the sporty type and his bodyguard definitely knew that by now. So he looked forward to the afternoon – even more so than normal – and he _may_ have been a little excited even.

But when they drove into the parking lot of a fitness studio, he frowned and gave Kuro a really confused look.

The older male only laughed. “Don’t look at me like that, Kenma. I won’t force you to work out or anything. You’re even going to have fun, I promise.” Kenma obviously didn’t look convinced, so Kuro sighed a little, as he stopped the engine and turned a little in his seat. “Trust me?” he asked with a small smile and crooked his head to the side.

Kenma avoided his gaze and squirmed, trying to will the small blush away. There was an “Of course I do” sitting on his tongue next to a “More than anyone else”, but he swallowed those and settled for a small nod.

Kuro’s smile only grew, as he start to unbuckle himself. “That’s great,” he said with a hum. “Let’s go then.” Kenma followed obediently.

The sign above the entrance of the modern building caught Kenma’s attention and he started to ponder about whether he had heard the name “Lion’s den” before, but nothing came to his mind. As they stepped inside the building, they were greeted by surprisingly cool air, the sounds of various pieces of sport equipment and the unpleasant smell of sweat. Kenma scrunched up his nose. Even though he never had been to a gym, he definitely didn’t regret it.

Kuro walked past the empty reception without even glancing at it and Kenma hurried to follow him. The raven stopped when they stood next to the treadmill where a small man seemingly coached a blond woman.

“Yo, Yaku,” Kuro greeted with half a grin. As soon as he heard that name, Kenma remembered why the name “Lion’s den” had seemed so familiar to him – Lev has been talking about this place for weeks now, also mentioning the name of the owner more than once.

The man turned around – he might have been even smaller than Kenma – and recognition spread on his face as he saw Kuro. “Kuroo-san, what a surprise,” he answered with a grin of his own and stepped to them, holding out a hand. “It’s been a while.”

Kuro enthusiastically took the hand. “Yeah, definitely. How’s it going?”

“It’s going really well, actually. Since it’s getting colder the people start coming indoors again to do their training.”

After a small nod Kuro pointed at Kenma. “That’s Kozume Kenma, by the way. Kenma, this is Yaku Moriuske, an old friend from high school and the owner of this gym.”

“Nice to meet you, Yaku-san,” Kenma greeted friendly and they exchanged a hand shake.

After greeting back Yaku shifted his weight to his right leg and stuck his hands into the pockets of his pants. “You’re probably not just here to see me. So, what can I do for you?”

“Do you have a small room for us?” Kuro responded. “Just for one or two hours.”

Yaku shortly looked at Kenma, who himself suspiciously eyed his bodyguard. He really had no idea what was going on anymore. Who would go to a fitness studio and ask for a room?

“Sure,” the short man answered with a nod. “Let’s just go to the reception for now.”

“Yeah, ok.” Kuro turned to face the still confused Kenma. “Go ahead and change, I’ll be right there. And then I’ll explain what’s going on, I promise,” he added with a crooked grin.

Kenma’s hand clenched a little around the handle of his sport bag and he sighed, before answering with a small nod. His bodyguard went with Yaku towards the entrance and the teenager followed the sings on the wall, which led him upstairs and into the locker room. The three man inside looked up when he entered and he greeted them with a small nod. After finding a free locker, he sat down his bag and slowly started to change his clothes.

Kuro entered just as he tied his second shoe. “Oh, you’re already finished. Then you can go and start warming up a little, not much, just run on the treadmill for ten minutes or so, and afterwards I’ll help you stretch.”

Only the thought of working out made Kenma’s face scrunch up. “You said something about fun, Kuro. I don’t see how I’m going to like this.”

“Your body has to be flexible and relaxed for what I have planned,” Kuro returned with a smile and ruffled Kenma’s hair a little. “The fun part will come after you’ve warmed up.”

Kenma pushed the completely inappropriate thoughts away, which started to flood his mind at this suggestive comment. No matter what Kuro had planned, it was definitely not _that_. And Kenma even had done a pretty good job until now to _not_ think about his bodyguard in that way, but instead preserving those thoughts for the night.

An annoyed sigh left his lips. He left the locker room after muttering an affirmation and made his way downstairs again. He was slightly aware of the various looks he got, but he couldn’t really blame the people for it. After all he didn’t look like he belonged here at all, and his face probably showed enough to understand that it wasn’t his free will which had brought him here.

While stepping on a treadmill and starting to insert the settings – even though he never had been to a gym he had no problem using it, since the controls were self-explanatory –, he again pondered about what Kuro had in store for him. The easiest and most logical explanation was that his bodyguard wanted to teach him some self-defense techniques, although he couldn’t tell why they had to go to a gym just for that.

He had set the machine to a slow pace, but he gradually started to regret it. It was way too easy for unwanted thoughts to make their way inside his head and fuel his imagination.

Yesterday he had immediately fallen asleep after he had brought himself to a surprisingly unsatisfying orgasm, so he had had no time to feel guilty about using his bodyguard in his fantasies. It had been a little hard to look the raven in the eye though, but he had managed to focus on other things throughout the day. Actually he was in denial again although he would refute it, if someone asked him.

With clenched teeth he upped the speed of the treadmill until he inevitably had to concentrate on his moving legs, so that he wouldn’t stumble.

A few minutes later the cause of his frustration startled him and pulled him out of his thoughts, as he called for him. Kenma was somehow glad that he had turned the machine off and stepped down on the floor before his eyes shot up, because as soon as his bodyguard came into his field of view, the air seemed to be knocked out of his lungs. Of course he has already known it, but a Kuro dressed in a black tank-top and basketball shorts, which hang loosely on his hips, was an extremely delicious sight – although it wasn’t quite as good as a shirtless Kuro.

Only when Kenma heard the dreamy sigh coming from the woman on the machine next to his, did his ability to breathe seem to come back and he willed his legs to carry him over to the raven.

The taller male looked at him with an amused smile. “Even though I told you to warm up, I actually expected to catch you lazing around, you know?”

Kenma let out an offended huff. “Then you would have just stood next to me, while you’d make me run.”

“Yeah, I was actually looking forward to that,” Kuro returned with a slight laugh. “Come on now, I’ve already prepared everything.”

‘Everything’ was just a small room on the fifth floor of the fitness studio, with one wall completely covered with mirrors and the floor laid out with several thin mats. Due to his earlier running and him having to climb all those stairs, Kenma was already a little out of breath when they stepped inside.  Kuro seemed to have noticed, judging by the amused grin which was still decorating his face. Kenma said nothing and just looked at his bodyguard expectantly.

“Yaku said that we can use this room until seven, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be finished before then,” Kuro explained as he walked to the middle of the room. “I’m going to teach you the basics of self-defense. Your father told me that you refused to take lessons in the past, but it’ll help you, believe me.”

“I don’t understand,” Kenma interrupted him. “Why do I need to defend myself when you’re here?”

Kenma’s eyes followed Kuro’s hand, as it ran through black strands. “Even though it’s called ‘self-defense’ it’s not only about defending yourself. It’ll also help you to stay calm in unexpected situations and will give you a little confidence boost.”

Kenma could hear the ‘Then you don’t have to be so nervous anymore’, although Kuro didn’t say it. For a moment Kenma played with the thought of learning self-defense a little. Of course it wouldn’t hurt him to learn a few tricks and the rest that Kuro just had explained was probably also true, so he couldn’t really find a reason against it. Apart from it being exhausting of course. But he already had warmed up, so he could as well just give it a try, he thought. “And where is the fun part?” he repeated his question from earlier, giving his voice only a slightly teasing tone this time, but Kuro seemed to catch it.

“You get to beat me up,” he answered with a crooked grin.

The response was so unexpected, Kenma couldn’t help but laugh. He absentmindedly noticed how Kuro seemed to relax a little, before he started to instruct him and helped him stretch.

Kenma’s muscles were straining and he let out more than one inelegant grunt, but that wasn’t his main problem. Kuro’s hands burnt on his skin. Kenma wanted him to stop and touch more of his body at the same time, and it felt just as confusing as it sounded.

“Ok, that should be enough,” Kuro remarked after a few minutes and stepped back a little.

Kenma nodded and stood up from his sitting position. The raven instructed him to stand across of him, so he did.

“Before we start, what do you know about self-defense?”

“I scream, hit, kick, bite and do everything I can to run away,” Kenma stated the obvious things everybody should know. “And I know the weak points I have to aim for.”

An appreciative grunt left Kuro’s lungs and he nodded. “That’s a good basis, I guess. Still we’ll have to begin with something simple.” He took a stable stance and stretched one arm out. “Grab my arm and try to pull me towards you.”

Kenma looked from the arm to Kuro’s face, and raised an eyebrow. His bodyguard simply waited with a small smile, until Kenma mirrored Kuro’s stance a little awkwardly and grabbed his wrist. Then he pulled, like Kuro had told him, but the raven didn’t move even a tiny bit.

Kuro snorted. “You call that pulling? You’re really just like a kitten.”

“Kitten?” Kenma repeated the – extremely unwanted – pet name. “Where the hell did that come from?”

The raven’s eyes widened, before he hastily averted his gaze. “Eh… nothing, just forget it,” he quickly muttered, seemingly a little shaken. “Anyway, use all the strength you have, and pull like you really mean it.”

Even though he was still a little confused, Kenma decided to ignore that for the moment and pulled harder this time. Kuro indeed moved towards him, but it was considerably faster than Kenma had anticipated and thus he stumbled, losing his footing altogether. Suddenly he was falling backwards and he mindlessly tried to grab for something to latch on to, and fortunately managed to get a hold onto Kuro’s arms.

The awaited hit never came though.

Only slowly did Kenma realize that he was hanging midair, supported by his own grip and Kuro’s arm on his back. The raven leaned above him and looked down with a smirk. Then he pulled him up on his feet again, waiting for him to steady himself, before he took a step back.

“Do you know why I could throw you off balance this easily?” Kuro asked, as Kenma opened his hands and let his arms fall down.

Kenma snorted. “Maybe because you’re like five times stronger than me?”

At that tone, Kuro’s lips quirked up into an amused smirk. “Actually that’s not it at all. I just surprised you. You can easily do the same with me and the stronger your opponent, the easier it is to make him fall down. Pull my arm again, I’ll show you how it’s done.”

Kenma repeated his earlier action and Kuro showed him the movements. First he stepped forward until he stood just in front of Kenma and lifted the still grabbed arm, then took another step to stand next to the teenager. When he brought his arm down again, Kenma’s hand was yanked behind his back and he felt himself losing his balance again, but this time he didn’t fall due to Kuro’s slow movements. Kuro explained every step for him, noting various things he had to pay attention to especially. Of course Kenma tried to remember everything, but it really was a lot.

“Ok, try it now,” Kuro prompted him, after they stood comfortably again. “Go slow first.”

With a nod Kenma tried to use the move himself. It didn’t really went that well at first, but they repeated it until Kuro decided that it was good enough for now.

“Let’s move to the next technique for now,” the raven suggested. “Stay comfortable. I’ll attack you and you try to defend yourself, no matter how. Just do whatever you want.”

“Ok,” Kenma affirmed and did as he was told. He eyed his bodyguard warily, as the tall man slowly circled him.

Suddenly strong arms wrapped around him. He was enveloped in a dark, spicy sent and a feeling of safety spread immediately inside his body, making him relax against the warm chest at his back. God, he didn’t know a simple hug could be this amazing. Only the thought of how much better everything else would feel made him nearly shudder.

Wait, this wasn’t a hug. And he wasn’t supposed to enjoy this. He was supposed to free himself, right?

For a short moment he thought about starting to kick behind him, but quickly dismissed the idea. Kuro had said that surprise was an important factor, so he had to do something else. He took a deep breath, before all of his muscles relaxed and he let himself fall down a little, taking a step to the side. Like he had hoped, he felt Kuro losing his balance and he tried to use this opportunity to turn around, but suddenly he was – literally – swept off his feet. This time his back hit the mat and the air was pressed out of his lungs. When the initial shock faded, he saw Kuro leaning above him.

Kenma’s chest moved heavily and he felt sweat sliding down his temples. His gaze locked with caramel orbs, filled with astonishment and his fingers tingled with the need to reach out and feel, whether those black hair strands really felt as soft as they looked.

“I’m surprised,” Kuro said after a short moment of silence and a smirk spread on his face. “That was pretty good for a beginner.” He righted himself up  and pulled Kenma with him. “You probably would have managed to bring down everyone with a little less experience than me.”

Warmth spread inside Kenma’s chest after having heard the small compliment and he shyly casted his eyes down. He was simply not used to hearing something like this, he told himself. Yes, that was definitely it.

“There are some things that can be improved, though,” his bodyguard continued. “Here, let me show you.”

Kuro wrapped his arms around Kenma’s shoulders again and the teenager had to suppress the shiver running down his spine. He still hadn’t decided, if he liked this whole self-defense lesson or not, but he sure as hell wouldn’t complain about the delicious heat spreading all over his skin.

-

They decided to continue the training every other day since Kenma indeed had fun and just doing that stuff once probably didn’t help him at all. It wasn’t even that bad that he had to go out regularly, Kuro was with him after all, and as for the other people – well, he just ignored them. Warming up was actually the worst thing, but he also got used to that. And thanks to Kuro being really careful with him and catching him most of the times before he could hit the floor, he had absolutely no bruises.

When they weren’t at the gym, they still lazed around in his bedroom like always with Kenma playing video games – his current obsession was ‘Ori and the blind forest’ – and Kuro watching or reading another book.

Kenma still struggled with his feelings – no, _attraction_ was definitely the better word – for his bodyguard, but he managed to cope with it. Of course he was still staring – a lot – and his thoughts wandered more often than not, but he was pretty sure that he was able to hide it. And yes, he still indulged in not-so-innocent fantasies at night. Who could blame him though, he was a regular teenager after all.

The training also helped him in other ways. It kept his mind off the actual reason Kuro was with him. There still were moments were sentences like “What would you like more, being choked by a rope or by my hands?” were running through his head and every time it has left him with a disgusting taste on his tongue.

Video games of course had the same effect, keeping his mind busy, as the adorable figure on the screen jumped across spiky obstacles and evaded the attacks of multiple enemies. It was really addicting, trying to get better with each play-through and collecting all the achievements. The no-death run was an especially great challenge, which has been keeping him busy for quite some time now.

Kuro’s nose was buried in a new book, which he just had bought the other day, since he already had seen Kenma play this game more than once. And even though he liked the small, adorable creature and also had enjoyed the story – he had said so himself in the beginning –, seeing the same dungeons again and again wasn’t really that interesting as a viewer.

Being at a particular difficult part, Kenma was completely concentrated on his character’s movements, so he got startled a little when his smartphone vibrated on his coffee table. He immediately paused his game to ensure that he wouldn’t die – that would be more than vexing by now. As he grabbed his phone and looked at the lit screen, a frown formed on his face. He was being called by a withheld number.

“Hello?” he answered warily. Instead of a response, he heard breathing on the other end of the line. His frown only deepened. “Who is there?”

Kuro looked up and met his gaze, raising an eyebrow. Kenma just shrugged his shoulders. But when the unknown man spoke up, all blood in his body froze.

“Your voice would sound even better screaming, you know?”

-

Once again Tetsuro was pissed at how incompetent the police was. They weren’t even able to track one fucking phone call and even though Tetsuro didn’t know how that was supposed to work, it couldn’t be _that_ hard. And since the number had been withheld, Kenma couldn’t even block the caller.

It had been so frustrating to see the fear manifesting in Kenma’s eyes and not being able to do anything against it. And even though he had immediately grabbed the phone and snarled at the caller to tell him who he was – unsurprisingly the perpetrator just ended the phone call, as soon as he had heard his voice – the harm had already been done.

Kenma had been staring blankly into space, not reacting to Tetsuro for a while and his hands had shivered. It had taken several minutes for the teenager to notice that his bodyguard was soothingly talking to him, promising him that he was safe.

Even when Tetsuro thought back right now – when he actually should be sleeping – hot anger formed inside his stomach, making him grit his teeth. He never wanted to see that expression on Kenma’s face again and he would do anything to assure his safety.

And there lied the problem.

He should _not_ get this emotionally involved with a client, should _not_ concern himself with anything more than his safety. But he was already way past this point and he knew way too well what was happening to him. And he nearly didn’t care anymore, as long as Kenma was alright.

With a deep sigh he turned around in his bed and tried to slide deeper into the covers. It would probably be a good idea to finally sleep. Thinking for several days about the same problem hadn’t helped him at all, so he presumably wouldn’t find a solution tonight too.

After shutting down his thoughts, he slowly started to drift away, thinking about beautiful, golden eyes and pleasingly soft hair strands, only to be violently awoken again.

The alarm on his phone rang. Kenma had pressed the panic button.

In mere seconds he was on his feet running to the teenager’s room, the gun already inside his hands. Inside the room his eyes darted around, searching for any kind of danger. “Kenma?” he immediately called.

“Kuro,” a weak voice came from the bed, “I’m sorry.”

A deep breath left his lungs. There wasn’t any immediate danger. That was good.

Tetsuro forced himself to calm down a little. After turning the alarm off, he went towards the bed, where the blond was half-sitting half-leaning against the headboard and looked at him. “What happened, Kenma?”

Kenma quickly shook his head, adamantly averting his eyes. “Nothing, I’m sorry.”

“You wouldn’t have called me because of nothing, would you?” he calmly asked, allowing himself to sit down on Kenma’s mattress.

“I… just…” The teenager swallowed, as his voice trailed off. “I just had a nightmare and when I woke up I thought I heard something. It’s really stupid, I’m sorry.”

Instinctively Tetsuro stretched out a hand and softly caressed Kenma’s head. “It’s not stupid. You thought you were in danger and you acted exactly like you were supposed to. Thank you for calling me.”

A shaky sigh escaped Kenma’s lungs, before he slowly nodded. “Ok. Ok, I guess.”

“Are you alright now?”

Golden eyes searched his gaze in the dark. “Sure, no problem.”

_ Fuck! _ Kenma wasn’t supposed to look like this, filled with fear and vulnerable. And Tetsuro was about to do something really, _really_ stupid because of that. “How about I sleep here tonight?” he asked, hoping that the teenager wouldn’t notice how rasp his voice was.

“Can you really do that?”

Tetsuro’s heart nearly skipped a beat at the hopeful glow on the teenager’s face. He swallowed. “Of course.”

There was a small smile tugging on Kenma’s lips and that was enough to convince the raven that he had made the right choice. He rose from the bed to walk over to the couch, but cold fingers wrapped around his wrist.

Kenma looked shyly down into his lap and he took a deep breath, before meeting Tetsuro’s gaze. “Will you stay here?” he quietly asked, nervousness nearly dripping from his voice.

“Well, yeah,” the raven answered confusedly. “Like I said, I’ll sleep on your couch tonight.”

“No.” Slowly the teenager shook his head and Tetsuro thought that he saw a slight pink decorating his cheeks. “I mean, will you stay _here_ … with me …”

When Tetsuro understood what exactly Kenma meant, his breath hitched and now his heart _definitely_ skipped a beat. Shit, he should _not_ do that, he should _so not do that_.

“Yeah, ok,” he said with a small nod and tried to sound as nonchalantly as possible. “Scoot over.”

Kenma did as he was told and Tetsuro set the secured gun down on the bedside table, before he followed the teenager under the covers. _Don’t get hard, don’t get hard_ , he told himself over and over again, as he tried to get comfortable on the soft bed, enveloped in Kenma’s intoxicating smell. He even felt the heat radiating from the slim body next to him and he had to fight the desire to wrap his arms around it.

This was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me how you liked it and that you hate the author of the letter as much as I do...
> 
> If you ever want to talk to me about whatever, you can find me on Twitter @SaendyH :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than normal, but you will get a really long chapter next week again, so I hope it's ok ^^' And there's a really important (at least to me) scene in this chapter and I honestly hope you enjoy it.  
> Thank you for you continous support, all the bookmarks, kudos and especially comments. You guys are so nice, every single comment makes my day :)
> 
> And also a lot of thanks to my little sister, who always tells me honestly what she thinks (and hypes Haikyuu just as much as I do) and to my lovely friend Velexica. Without her help there would be a lot of mistakes (and strange parts) in this story ^^'

It was way too hot when Kenma woke up.

With still closed eyes he let out a small groan and just wanted to turn around, when he felt a weight around his waist. Suddenly he was awake, his eyes shot open. There was a broad chest in front of him.

Oh.

_ Oh. _

The memories came back and with them a hot blush that settled on his cheeks.

Oh god, had he really made Kuro stay with him during the night? In the same bed? Because he had been afraid of a nightmare? How old was he again?

This was way too embarrassing, he could probably never look Kuro in the eyes again. He just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.

_ Or, _ he thought and swallowed thickly, _I_ _could just stay in bed and enjoy the situation a little more_.

During the night both of them seemed to have moved a little, seeing how they were nearly lying chest to chest, Kenma snuggled up against Kuro, and how the older male had draped an arm possessively around the blonde’s waist. Even their legs have somehow become entangled. And _fuck_ did Kenma enjoy being enveloped in the raven’s more than pleasant scent, like exotic spices and coffee. He felt like he was wrapped in a bubble of warmth and safeness and it just felt _right_.

Kenma carefully looked up to Kuro’s face, only to find his bodyguard peacefully sleeping. For a moment Kenma’s breath got caught in his throat. Normally Kuro looked downright attractive, and he was even hotter with a smile or a grin on his face, but while sleeping he couldn’t be called anything but beautiful. The teenager’s heart started to beat frantically inside his chest and he was completely overwhelmed by his own feelings. He had fallen _so hard_ , he would never have even thought that this was possible.

After confirming that his bodyguard indeed was still asleep, Kenma allowed himself to nestle even closer to Kuro, until his forehead leant against the clothed chest in front of him and he drew a deep breath, filling his lungs with even more of the amazing scent. This was so perfect, Kenma would do _everything_ to wake up like this every day. And maybe he had to start trying to make this happen, because it sure as hell would be worth the effort.

Kenma didn’t notice when he fell asleep again, but the next time he was awoken due to Kuro stirring next to him. He absentmindedly registered how the raven buried his face into Kenma’s hair for a moment, before he seemed to jolt awake.

“Kenma?” he asked in a scratchy voice and moved away a little.

The teenager silently hummed in response and drew himself back, sheepishly looking into the other’s face.

The next moment Kuro seemed to realize their situation, as he cursed and straightened himself up, letting Kenma go in the process. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he apologized and quickly averted his eyes.

Slowly Kenma sat up on his mattress as well. “No, it’s ok,” he quickly answered, feeling his cheeks heat up. Then he deeply inhaled and searched for Kuro’s gaze. “More than ok. Actually I have to thank you.”

Caramel eyes darted over to his, and they were filled with so many emotions that Kenma felt a little hope forming inside of him. He held his breath and watched the raven, waiting for any kind of reaction. If there was even the smallest possibility of Kuro feeling remotely similar to him, he would use it. Even the tiniest sign would be enough to encourage him. When Kuro looked away though, there was an unpleasant tug on his heart and he let his gaze drop to the bed covers. But in the next second his heart started to race again, as he felt a warm hand gently ruffling his hair.

“Don’t mind it, kitten,” Kuro asserted quietly, still awkwardly averting his eyes.

The pet name fell so affectionately off the raven’s lips, Kenma couldn’t feel anything but pure happiness and he felt an uncharacteristic broad smile forming on his face.

After a moment of silence Kuro shifted on the bed and stood up. “I’m going to take a shower,” he announced and stepped into the bathroom without looking back.

As soon as the door shut, Kenma buried his red face inside his hands. He’d probably die of happiness any moment now.

-

They never spoke about that incident and apart from the bodyguard starting to sleep on Kenma’s couch, they continued with their everyday lives. If it weren’t for all the stolen glances and the bright blush, which regularly adorned the teenager’s cheeks, Tetsuro would have even believed that he had only imagined that moment. Imagined, how hopeful Kenma had looked at him and how happy he had seemed after Tetsuro had accepted his thanks. Or how good it had felt to hold that small body inside his arms, how right it had seemed.

But it was hard to ignore all the thoughts running through his head, when he was with Kenma all the time, watching over him. By now he knew all the small habits the teenager had. How he scrunched up his nose when he had to do something he didn’t want to, how he started to fiddle with his bangs when there was a lot of attention on him and he just wanted to hide, how his eyes shone with excitement when he started a new game or talked about something he liked. How he looked at Tetsuro when he thought that the raven wasn’t paying attention and how he always ‘accidently’ touched him, be it their hands or their legs brushing together. Tetsuro would find it endearing and utterly adorable, if he didn’t have to fight the desire, the _need_ to touch the teenager more, to simply pull him into a deep hug.

Which led to the next problem – Kenma was neither stupid nor blind and he seemed to catch on to Tetsuro’s reactions, his approaches getting bolder over the time. Until he got tired of their little game.

-

Even though Tetsuro still didn’t quite understand the appeal of video games – especially really hard ones, like the one Kenma was playing at the moment –, he had surprisingly much fun watching them.  Although it probably shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, considering that Tetsuro didn’t really watch the game, but rather the player.

It was truly fascinating to see triumph flashing across the teenager’s face or how his eyebrows furrowed in frustration when he died for the fourth time at the same boss.

When he died for the fifth time, he threw his head back on the couch and groaned in frustration. “How can this fight be so fucking hard?” Kenma muttered more to himself than to Tetsuro.

The raven watched him in amusement. “Isn’t it unfair that the three Ringwraiths attack you at once?”

“That’s not really the problem,” Kenma answered after a small side-glance. “Or, it’s not the _only_ problem. Rather the fact that I have to watch out for melee and ranged attacks at the same time. And when I kill one of them the other two get stronger, but if I damage them evenly they also get stronger after a certain time. So I haven’t really found a working strategy yet. And they’re not Ringwraiths, they’re the Shadows of Yharnam.”

“They’re strange ghost-things in black, hooded frocks, so it’s practically same.”

The look Tetsuro was bestowed with, couldn’t be described as anything but pure indignation. “You can’t just compare those two, they are from completely different universes. And I don’t even know if the Shadows are ghosts or anything else.”

“Does it really matter?”

“Of course it matters!” Kenma complained with a huff and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Every single enemy in this game has such an interesting background, creating a solid and believable world. So naturally it’s really important whether they’re ghosts of people who have lived in that world, or if they’re something different, maybe born from fear or malice.”

Tetsuro could only laugh in response. “You’re such a nerd, Kenma.”

“What? No, I’m not a nerd. It’s simply a really huge difference.”

The raven’s grin only widened. It was just way too adorable how the teenager immediately started to pout, when he defended himself. “Oh, you definitely are.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am. Not.” Kenma put the controller down on the table and kneed on the couch in an attempt to get closer to Tetsuro. When the raven wanted to speak again, Kenma simply covered his mouth with his hands.

With another bright laugh Tetsuro grabbed the blonde’s wrists. “Are. Too,” he emphasized, after he removed the small hands from his mouth and grinned directly in the teenager’s face.

Suddenly Kenma blushed profusely and only then did Tetsuro realize, how close he had pulled the younger male – only centimeters were separating them now.

“Am not,” Kenma murmured and Tetsuro’s eyes darted down to the moving lips. Suddenly they seemed incredibly soft and inviting.

Tetsuro swallowed heavily and let go of the teenager, quickly looking away. He even backed up a little, but Kenma had other plans and immediately leant towards him. Carefully he laid one hand on Tetsuro’s shoulder, while bringing their faces together again, leaving only very little space between them.

Tetsuro could already feel warm breath against his lips and he felt his heart accelerating. This was not good, this was so not good. How could one normal teenager be this tempting?

But Kenma wasn’t a normal teenager at all, especially for Tetsuro. And he was dangerously close by now.

“Don’t, Kenma,” Tetsuro muttered and placed his hands on the teenager’s hips, to keep him from moving.

Not that Kenma listened to him. The blonde’s face was still decorated with a beautiful pink, his eyes unfocused with slightly dilated pupils. Tetsuro’s gut clenched at the sight and his mind short-circuited – how could he resist such a delicious sight?

It was Tetsuro himself that closed the distance at last, only slightly brushing their mouths together. Kenma’s lips were indeed as soft as they looked, soft and warm and somehow spark-inducing. As soon as they separated, Tetsuro felt the need to lean in again and not even a second later Kenma tilted his head and involved him in another kiss. Their mouths moved slowly against each other, testing how the other felt like, enjoying the way they seemed to perfectly fit together.

“Kuro,” Kenma sighed against Tetsuro’s mouth and sheepishly licked the line between the raven’s lips, causing the older male to shiver. Tetsuro parted his lips and brushed against Kenma’s tongue with his own, as it made its way inside his mouth. The part of his attention, which was not directed to the kiss, busied itself with loosening his hands on the teenager’s hips and slightly slipping underneath the hem of the shirt, softly massaging the skin underneath.

Kissing Kenma was what you would call magical. Like a lit fireplace and a cup of hot tea on a rainy day, warming his insides and making him relax. Like a whole tank of water in the desert, refreshing, invigorating and everything he needed in that moment. Like finally coming home after a way too long journey.

Gradually Kenma got bolder, and while his tongue rubbed against Tetsuro’s, before it caressed the roof of his mouth, he shifted even closer to the raven until he shamelessly climbed into his lap. His hands wrapped around Tetsuro’s neck and he softly played with his hairline in the back.

After having enjoyed being kissed by Kenma, until all his muscles felt like jelly – and he really enjoyed it a lot –, Tetsuro started to return the favor and took the initiative. He practically thrusted his tongue inside the younger one’s mouth and immediately changed the pace, from the slow and playful way to a harder and more passionate rhythm. Simultaneously his hands cupped Kenma’s backside and gave it an experimental squeeze. He reveled in the way Kenma’s hands tightened inside his hair and how the moan resonated in his mouth. While his hands kept moving, Tetsuro sucked the blonde’s tongue between his lips, before he grazed it with his own again. He softly bit the teenager’s lower lip, earning a small gasp, and licked over it.

Kenma seemed to melt inside his hands, eagerly taking everything the raven gave him, his body pressed against the harder one, rubbing their chest together, before he gave his hips a roll. A shaky moan escaped Kenma’s lips, when their awakening members brushed together, followed by another breathless “Kuro”, dripping of want and need.

The sound was nearly too much for Tetsuro, who already felt way too hot, and why was Kenma still clothed again? The teenager’s thoughts seemed to go in the same direction, as he brought his hands to Tetsuro’s front and started to unbutton his shirt, while eagerly continuing their kiss.

But when small fingers brushed over his bared abs, Tetsuro suddenly came to his senses again and he pushed Kenma way. “No, Kenma,” he said firmly, although he was a little breathless. “We shouldn’t do that.”

Kenma panted and his eyes needed a few moments, before they focused on Tetsuro’s. “What? Why?” he inquired, utterly confused. Then he frowned. “Is it because you’re my bodyguard? I don’t care about that, Kuro, I just want-”

“No, that’s not it,” Tetsuro quickly shot him down. When he saw the pout forming on the teenager’s face he let out a long sigh. “You’re only seventeen, Kenma.”

“I’m not a confused teenager, if it’s that what you mean,” he grumbled defensively. “I know what I want. And you want me too, don’t you?”

The last sentences were said so carefully and with so much uncertainty that Tetsuro’s insides squirmed uncomfortably. Kenma shouldn’t look like this.

“Kenma,” he silently demanded the attention of the teenager. When golden orbs met his gaze again, he brought his hands up and cupped Kenma’s face. His thumbs lightly brushed over the blonde’s cheeks. They just looked at each other and Tetsuro was sure that Kenma could read everything in his eyes. But then he let out another small sigh and let his hands fall down again. “That’s beside the point,” he calmly declared. “I just don’t think that you really know what you’re doing.”

After a short moment realization dawned on the teenager’s face and a faint blush spread on his cheeks. “I have experience,” he silently muttered. “I’m not a virgin, you know.”

Even though he was a little surprised, Tetsuro simply shook his head. “It’s not the same as fooling around with people your age.”

“I didn’t just fool around with other teenagers.” Only a second later Kenma’s eyes widened in shock and he seemed to regret what he had said.

Tetsuro’s eyebrows rose in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Kenma quickly shook his head and looked away. “Nothing, forget what I said.”

“Kenma.” Tetsuro’s voice was calm and demanding and the teenager whimpered in response. When he didn’t speak up, the raven put his hand beneath Kenma’s chin and tilted his head up, forcing their gazes to meet.

“I-” Kenma squirmed in Tetsuro’s lap, shyly casting his eyes down. “In-in my third middle school year I had sex a few times… With my gym teacher.”

“What?” Tetsuro had just misheard him. Right?

But Kenma didn’t speak up again and continued to look at his own hands.

After the shock faded, hot anger spread inside Tetsuro’s gut. “You were raped by your teacher?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“No, he didn’t rape me,” Kenma quickly denied and shook his head. “I wanted it. I was curious, so I persuaded him.”

Tetsuro frowned. “Kenma. Please don’t try to defend him.”

“I’m not, it’s the truth. At that time I realized that I’m gay and he was really young and good looking, and I probably kinda liked him. It was really me who initiated it.”

Of course Tetsuro wasn’t convinced just with that. “Even if that’s true,” – Kenma protested, but Tetsuro simply ignored him – “he still took advantage of a teenager for whom he should have been a mentor.”

Kenma made an unhappy grimace, but didn’t object. He probably realized that it would make no sense to argue with the raven. Instead he shyly looked up again. “That doesn’t really matter now, does it? I still want this. I-” Once more he averted his gaze, the blush now spread all the way to his ears, while he gnawed on his lower lip. After he seemed to have gathered his courage, he drew a deep breath. “I really like you, Kuro.”

Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!

Tetsuro could have dealt with curiosity and simple desire, but Kenma’s honest and innocent eyes took his breath away, and against his will his heart started to beat furiously, while a pleasant warmth spread inside his chest. But even if his whole body screamed at him to kiss the blonde breathless again and make him come undone inside his arms, he couldn’t allow himself to give in to this desire.

“I’m sorry, Kenma,” he silently said and the words even hurt himself. “We really can’t do this. Like you said, I’m still your bodyguard and also ten years older. On top of that you’re still a minor.” Kenma didn’t respond, but only looked down into his lap again. Tetsuro’s heart nearly broke at that sight. “I’m really sorry, Kenma. We just can’t.”

Slowly Kenma nodded and climbed out of his lap, sitting next to him on the couch again. He took his controller and focused on the screen.

Tetsuro really, _really_ wanted to hug the teenager and tell him just how important he had become to him over the weeks they had spent together. But that would just make it harder for both of them.

“Kuro?” Kenma suddenly said, demanding his attention.

“Yeah?”

“My birthday is this Saturday.”

Tetsuro slowly nodded. “I know.”

“Can I ask for something?”

Immediately Tetsuro frowned, suspecting the direction this was heading to. “Kenma,” he slowly started, but the teenager quickly cut him off.

“No, nothing like that,” he stated firmly. “I just wanted to ask, if we could go into town again.”

“You mean a date?” Tetsuro asked carefully.

Kenma slowly shook his head. “We don’t have to call it that. I just want to go a little shopping, maybe watch a movie and grab a bite to eat somewhere?”

That was practically the definition of a date and Tetsuro was nearly sure that this was a mistake. He drew a deep breath. “Sure, we can do that.” He just couldn’t deny Kenma such a simple and innocent wish.

A small smile spread on the teenager’s face along with a faint blush. “Ok,” he said with a nod, directing his attention to his game again.

Tetsuro watched him a little, before he let out another silent sigh. He really hoped that he had done the right thing.

-

It was hard to pretend that nothing happened. But Kenma was sure he did a pretty good job since none of his friends seemed to notice anything, when they sat in the cafeteria the next day. Well, apart from Shouyou of course, with whom he had texted the whole evening. Said ginger gave him more than one worried look, but Kenma did his best to ignore him.

While he was completely focused on appearing normal, the conversation on the table had shifted and he was suddenly directly addressed. “Have you already planned your birthday party, Kenma?”

“Eh?” Kenma looked up from his food and faced Nishinoya. “Birthday party?”

“Shouyou said it’s your birthday this Saturday, so of course you have to throw a party,” the small teenager said matter-of-factly.

Kenma immediately scrunched up his nose. “I don’t need a party,” he silently muttered and started to pick around in his meal. “It’s a pain to prepare.”

“But Kenma-san,” Lev interjected. “It’s you birthday!”

“And if we prepare everything?” Inouka asked.

Why exactly was everyone else so excited about _his_ birthday? A deep sigh left his lungs. “I don’t have time on Saturday,” Kenma stated, as he remembered his promise with Kuro. From the corner of his eyes he saw the raven watching him with a calm expression, not showing any emotions at all.

A wave of complaints and whines hit Kenma, but he didn’t feel the need to reply, so he just silently continued to eat – until Shouyou spoke up. “Why don’t we hold the party Friday evening? We can just all stay at Kenma’s and celebrate through the night.”

Kenma frowned. “Shouyou,” he silently complained. His friend innocently smiled at him.

“That’s a good idea, you should do that,” Kuro suddenly said and drew the teenagers’ attention to him.

Nishinoya beamed and quickly nodded. “Yeah, we’ll do that! Can you buy us alcohol, Kuroo-san?”

The raven’s eyebrows rose and he huffed. “So that I have to deal with a bunch of drunken teenagers? No, thanks.”

“Eh? That’s mean,” Nishinoya whined, but Kuro just watched him, unimpressed.

His friends continued to discuss everything, while Kenma speechlessly stared at Kuro. After the surprise faded a frown formed on his face. The raven noticed his gaze and looked at him questioningly.

“Why?” Kenma silently asked him.

Kuro mused about it for a moment, before he shrugged his shoulders, a smirk on his lips. “You should enjoy some attention from your friends from time to time.”

Another frown made its way on the teenager’s face. “I don’t like attention.”

“I know.”

“You’re mean.”

The raven’s smirk turned into a big grin. “I know that too.”

Kenma only managed to sigh. Now he had to deal with this strange group of people the whole Friday. He was not looking forward to that at all.

But on the other hand his date with Kuro was on Saturday and he was definitely looking forward to that.

So he couldn’t decide if he was looking forward to the weekend or not. Kenma groaned and let his head thud on the table. His own thoughts were just way too confusing sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter, even though there wasn't any action at all ^^'  
> Next week there'll be Kenma's birthday party with a lot of lovely dorks (I'm _really_ looking forward to writing that) and Kuro's and Kenma's date :3 It will probably be terribly loaded with clichés, but I hope you're looking forward to it nonetheless ^^'
> 
> As always please tell me what you think of this chapter :3
> 
> And one last thing: It is _not_ ok for a teacher to touch his student, no matter the circumstances. It is also not ok, for an adult to touch a child and yes, 14 year olds definitely still count as children. Don't _ever_ let anyone tell you otherwise.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is so much I want to say about this chapter, so *sigh* well, let's start.
> 
> First of it hadn't been for the amazing Velexica, you wouldn't be able to read this chapter now. I was kinda struggling to finish this chapter and I really hope that I can continue to upload every week ... But don't worry, I'll do my best!  
> Next thing, this got way longer than expected. I actually wanted to add another scene, but that would have been another 2000+ words, so you'll get that next week.  
> Another thing, I know that the timeline isn't exactly realistic since Kenma's birthday is in October so this story probably starts sometime during Kenma's summer holidays, which I completely ignored ... hehe ^^'
> 
> Lastly thanks to all you lovely readers! Your support is amazing!

It was nearly impressive how much noise only seven teenagers could make, and Nishinoya and Tanaka weren’t even there yet.

Tetsuro sat on the couch and amusedly watched the boys playing video games while they shouted at each other. Mainly Hinata and Haiba were shouting and Inouka sometimes joined them while the rest was considerably quieter. The rest consisting of Kageyama, Fukunaga, Shibayama and of course Kenma. Not that they didn’t have fun, it was simply really hard to be as loud as Hinata and Haiba.

They were already celebrating Kenma’s “Not-yet-birthday” party for a whole hour, when the loud ringing of the doorbell pierced the air again. With a sigh – probably the fourth or fifth already – Kenma gave his controller over to Inouka and stood up, making his way to the front door. Casually Tetsuro also rose from his place and followed him, only trailing one or two steps behind. They didn’t talk on the way down, but it was a comfortable silence.

After the whole kissing incident there had been a noticeable dent in their relationship. Especially in the beginning it had been kind of awkward, none of them knew exactly how to behave, and their conversations were limited to necessities. It had annoyed Tetsuro to no ends. When they had had their first training session he had decided that enough was enough. He had teased the teenager excessively and had made one joke after another and even though Kenma had seemed confused at first he had quickly started to bite back and – more importantly – smile. Since then they were comfortable around each other again.

When Kenma opened the front door Nishinoya and Tanaka simultaneously yelled “The party crew is here!”

Kenma’s brow shot up, but he didn’t comment and politely greeted them, stepping back slightly to let them in.

Tanaka and Nishinoya were chatting happily on the way up to Kenma’s bedroom and Tetsuro was pretty amused to see Kenma pretend to be all annoyed, even though the raven could see how he was actually happy about having his friends gathered.

The teenagers’ entrance was accompanied by louder than necessary footsteps and joyful greetings, and the already present guys welcomed them just as cheerily. “Guys, guys, look!” Nishinoya shouted excitedly as soon as they joined the group. He and Tanaka looked at each other with a grin, before the shaved boy turned around so that Nishinoya could reach his backpack. Extremely proud of himself he pulled two bottles out, one filled with vodka and the other filled with tequila.

Tetsuro sat back on the couch with a sigh as (most of) the teenagers got extremely excited at the sight of all the booze. There were even more bottles, all with different contents. So Tetsuro figured that he would have to deal with a bunch of drunken teenagers after all.

Curiously the raven eyed Kenma watching for his reaction. The blonde frowned a little, but didn’t protest.

“Woah, where did you get that?” Hinata asked, obviously delighted.

Tanaka grinned and proudly stuck his chest out. “My sister bought it for us.”

“Yep, because Ryuu’s big sis is awesome!” Nishinoya declared with a small side glance to Tetsuro. The raven just calmly retorted the gaze.

“A-are you really sure this is a good idea?” Shibayama suddenly intervened. Numerous pairs of eyes darted to him and his cheeks grew even redder. “I-I just mean that we aren’t allowed to drink alcohol yet. What if someone finds out?”

Nishinoya snorted. “And who exactly should find out?”

This time numerous eyes shot to Tetsuro. The bodyguard needed a few seconds before he understood the meaning of the gazes and he started to laugh. “Why should I care whether you guys drink or not?”

“Well, aren’t you supposed to be an adult?” Haiba inquired curiously.

“I _am_ an adult,” Tetsuro replied with raised eyebrows. “But I’m a bodyguard and not a babysitter. Get hammered as much as you want.”

“You are really irresponsible, aren’t you Kuroo-san?” Hinata deadpanned.

Offended the raven wanted to protest, but Kenma was faster than him. “Kuro was way worse than any of us ever can be.”

“And how would you know that?” Tetsuro scoffed.

Kenma’s face was completely expressionless, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. “It’s just my innocent assumption.”

Tetsuro snorted, while Hinata simply nodded. “It’s really not that hard to guess.” Some of the guys laughed in agreement.

“How about you brats simply drink your stuff and shut up?”

There was only more laughter, but at least they left him alone and turned their attention to other things. They quickly gathered some glasses and started to pass around the alcohol, ignoring the paused game completely. But before they could drink, Hinata stopped them.

“Wait a minute, guys. Kenma, did you download that?”

Kenma sat down on the place next to Tetsuro, while he looked at his orange-haired friend. “I did, but do you really think that’s a good idea?”

The small guy beamed at him. “Of course! This is going to be awesome!”

“What are you talking about?” Kageyama asked with a scowl directed at the ginger.

“You’ll see,” Hinata answered with a grin and jumped a little on his seat. “Kenma, just start it already.”

Kenma sighed and went to his consoles, while more than one person confusedly looked back and forth between him and Hinata. Tetsuro did too.

A few minutes later Kenma had booted his Play Station and started a game, and some pretty creepy screen showed up. The guys grew quiet, until Kageyama slowly spoke up. “Is this a horror game?”

“Kinda. It’s not a whole game though,” Kenma explained. “It’s called ‘Playable Teaser’ and it’s a preview for the new Silent Hill game that’s supposed to come.”

Hinata nodded enthusiastically. “And it’s supposed to be _super_ creepy!”

“Woah, this is an awesome idea, Hinata!” Tanaka cheered, but not everyone seemed to agree.

“It’s not,” Fukunaga protested and Shibayama quickly nodded in agreement, probably afraid already.

Kageyama nudged his boyfriend. “You’ll be the most scared of us all.”

Like expected Hinata immediately pouted. “I won’t be scared!”

“Of course you will!”

They argued a little more, while the rest simply ignored them.

“Well, let’s play it,” Nishinoya suggested, obviously excited about the opportunity of playing a horror game.

The most of the others didn’t seem too fond of the idea, but somehow they collectively decided to give it a try. Tetsuro himself was curious about the game and even more about Kenma’s reactions. They have never watched a horror movie together – even though Tetsuro extremely liked them –, so he had no idea what the teenager’s opinion on the topic was, and of course his face gave nothing away.

While Kenma started the game, the others settled comfortably, facing the television. As soon as text showed up on the screen they all grew quiet, even Hinata and Kageyama stopped their bickering.

The character seemed to wake up in an empty and dirty room, and as soon as he was standing Kenma navigated him through a door and into a hallway. He looked around, taking in every single detail, while the spectators silently commented on various things – the pictures, the radio announcer, all of the small noises. In total they agreed that the atmosphere was pretty tight and extremely fitting for a horror game.

Several ‘Oh’s were muttered, when they went through the basement door and ended up in the same hallway again. Albeit the creepy atmosphere nothing much was happening in the first few minutes, so the guys made some jokes and continued to speak normally – until the door leading to the stairs closed just as they wanted to go through it.

“Was that the bathroom door?” Haiba asked silently, after they heard a squeaking sound.

Kenma turned around and saw that yes, that had indeed been the bathroom door. Of course they had to see what happened, so Kenma went to the now slightly opened door. “I can’t open it or anything,” he commented while pressing several buttons.

“That strange cry comes from inside, doesn’t it?” Several hums agreed with Nishinoya’s suggestion.

Then Kenma zoomed to look inside the bathroom and apparently that had been the right thing to do. Suddenly a female face appeared at the crack of the door and smacked it close. Multiple yelps were audible and more than one teenager jumped in their seat.

A smirk spread on Tetsuro’s lips. _So it’s going to be that kind of horror_ , he thought, a little excited by now. With a small side glance he looked for Kenma’s reaction. The blond teenager hadn’t made a sound, but his eyes were widened and his hands were clutched tightly around the controller. Tetsuro’s grin grew even wider, though he didn’t comment.

“This is enough, isn’t it?” Shibayama broke the silence. “We can just stop now.”

“What? No way! The fun is only starting!” Nishinoya complained immediately. His face revealed a grin similar to Tetsuro’s.

But from the look of it they were the only two who had fun. Shibayama, Haiba, Inouka and Tanaka looked like they already needed a new pair of pants, Hinata had practically jumped into Kageyama’s lap – who tried to look annoyed, but actually seemed thoroughly pleased – and Fukunaga seemed to be strangely fascinated, his body was slightly bended forward and his eyes were locked on the screen.

“You’re not going to continue?” Tetsuro asked Kenma teasingly, slightly smirking at him.

The teenager glared at him, before he moved the character again and muttered, “Shut up.”

They went on, albeit the small protests from Shibayama, and continued to look around, searching for anything they might have missed. The atmosphere in the bedroom was way tenser now, only small and quiet comments coming from time to time. More than one time Tetsuro thought about making a joke or just letting out a scream to scare them some more – but that was completely unnecessary, as he noticed a few moments later.

When Kenma navigated the character around the corner once more he immediately froze, growing all tense again. There down the hall stood an unmoving silhouette under the dim light.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” Hinata started to murmur like a mantra, burying his face into Kageyama’s shoulder.

The rest of the reactions were pretty similar. Even Nishinoya seemed to be scared by now, but Tetsuro still grinned widely, although his heart pounded like crazy. He had to admit, this game actually managed to scare him pretty bad.

Kenma paused the game and set the controller on the table, letting out a shuddering breath in the process.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Kenma?” Nishinoya protested. “Why are you stopping?”

The blond teenager vehemently shook his head. “I’m not going to continue,” he firmly stated and now you could see the fear in his face.

Of course Tetsuro couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t be such a wimp, Kenma,” he teased and nudged the teenager’s arm. “It hasn’t even been half an hour since we started the game.”

Once more he earned a pretty pissed look for that comment, which only made him laugh more. “Then how about you play it?” Kenma asked him angrily and held the controller out to him. The raven’s eyebrows rose, but he took the device while   shrugging his shoulders.

“Wait! No, you really don’t have to do that, Kuroo-san,” Hinata whined at the moment and Haiba quickly agreed with a nod, “Yeah, we have seen enough, haven’t we?”

Nishinoya scoffed. “You guys are boring.”

“Wasn’t it your idea?” Kageyama asked with a scowl directed at Hinata next to him. “I _told_ you, you’re going to be scared.”

The ginger whimpered. “Don’t be such a dick, Kageyama! You’re scared yourself!”

While the two of them started to argue again, Tetsuro continued the game earning even more protest. “How do I zoom?” he asked while trying out a few buttons. Kenma showed him and the raven immediately tried it out, causing the teenager’s hand to tighten around his underarm.

“Don’t…” Kenma started breathlessly, after nothing happened. “Don’t do that.”

Tetsuro grinned, but didn’t comment. There was a much easier way to tease the teenager. He moved the control stick and the character took a few steps forward, before he stopped again. The light had gone out by now and it was absolutely dark in the whole hallway.

Tetsuro felt two hands on his arm, quickly joined by a face. “I can’t watch this,” Kenma groaned into his shirt and the raven just watched him with another smirk.

He faced the TV again, moving the character forward.  While he was also a little tense like the rest, he wouldn’t admit it. As soon as he reached the stairs, they guys collectively let out held breaths, since nothing had happened. It was nearly disappointing.

Taking a step into the new loop Tetsuro poked Kenma, who still hid his face. “You can look again, it’s bright now.”

Kenma – and some of the others – slowly looked at the screen, taking in the familiar sight of the hallway. Even though the sounds still were pretty horrible the teenager noticeably relaxed. He didn’t loosen his grip on Tetsuro’s arm though.

The raven calmly walked around and the teenagers around him seemed to relax a little, even though there still was a whine now and then. Everything was good until he had to go into the bathroom to pick up the flashlight. Not that he himself had a problem with that.

_ Of course _ the door closed itself behind him and it was kind of funny just how much the rattling of the door handle managed to scare the teenagers shitless. Since Tetsuro expected nothing to happen, he was quite relaxed and waited until the door opened on his own. “Oh, who would have expected that?” he commented cheerfully as he stepped into the empty hallway again.

“I hate you, Kuroo-san,” Haiba said through clenched teeth.

Hinata nodded. “I wholeheartedly agree.”

“Oh, you guys are so sweet.” Tetsuro enjoyed this more than he probably should.

Next to him Kenma groaned again, leaning his forehead against his bodyguard’s arm once more. “Can we _please_ stop now?”

“Aren’t you interested in how it’s going to end?” the raven asked after musing a short moment about whether he should have mercy or not. Of course it was fun to mess with Kenma, but he gradually felt sympathy for the blond teenager, especially when he clung to him so desperately.

Kenma frantically shook his head. “Nope, not at all.”

After another moment Tetsuro let out a silent sigh and paused the game again. “Whatever you want, Kenma,” he said with a smile, while he handed the controller over. Only after saying that did he notice the irony of it and judging by Kenma’s look he’s noticed it too, but both of them decided to ignore it.

When the teenager turned off the game there were multiple relieved sighs ringing through the air – and one loud protest from Nishinoya.

“Let’s just start drinking,” Tanaka suggested speaking for the first time in nearly an hour, which was more than untypical for him. He had been completely quiet so it was easier for him to pretend that he wasn’t scared. Of course he failed miserably, but no one told him. They had all been way too busy to be scared themselves.

They all agreed to his idea and started to pass the glasses around once again. And then they simply started to do what teenagers did – they drank, played silly games and just generally fooled around.

Tetsuro sat back and watched them mostly in silence, only throwing a comment into the round now and then. It was quite amusing to watch the boys get drunk. The loud ones even got louder – apart from Haiba who seemed to be incredibly tired after just two shots – and the silent ones got bolder.

At midnight Hinata loudly started to sing a terribly off-key ‘Happy Birthday’ and he quickly was joined by the rest. Kenma felt obviously uncomfortable at all the attention, but as they all started to congratulate him a small smile showed on his face.

Giving Kenma the presents and him unwrapping them was incredibly uncoordinated, seeing how they all were pretty drunk already. Tetsuro guessed that this was probably the first time they really drank. It was nearly adorable.

“Hey, Kuro.” Kenma suddenly stood next to him and demanded his attention, leaving his friends to play ‘King’s Game’ without him.

The raven looked up curiously. “What’s up, Kenma?”

Without a comment the teenager sat down next to him – a lot closer than Tetsuro had expected –, leant sideways against the couch and put his feet into his bodyguard’s lap.

The older one snorted. “What are you doing? Are you drunk?”

“Maybe a little,” Kenma admitted with a hum.

“A little, sure.”

Kenma kicked him a little, when Tetsuro grinned at him. “Don’t you want to drink something?”

“You know that I can’t do that,” Tetsuro stated – again. He had already explained that earlier this evening, when Nishinoya had tried to persuade him.

“That’s a shame,” Kenma commented and scooted closer to him.

Tetsuro just let it happen. “I’m sure you’ve been drinking enough for both of us.” Without noticing he placed a hand on the teenager’s thigh.

For a few moments they sat in silence, while watching Hinata doing some sort of embarrassing dance. Then Kenma let out a large yawn. He lent his head against Tetsuro’s shoulder and sighed. “I’m tired, Kuro.”

Tetsuro’s heart started to race as he felt the warm body against his and saw the teenager blissfully closing his eyes. It would be so easy to wrap his arms around him and just keep him close. A tiny voice inside his head even told him, “He’s not a minor anymore,” but he quickly shushed it. That was not the point and he knew it – usually.

“Then just go to sleep,” he answered in a steady voice.

Kenma hummed. “But the others are still awake.”

“They’ll manage without you.”

In that moment Haiba stumbled over his own feet and landed directly on top of Kageyama, who wasn’t amused at all. Kenma demonstratively looked at Tetsuro, clearly unconvinced.

The raven laughed. “Ok, ok. But you don’t have to worry, Fukunaga is pretty reasonable and kinda sober. And I’m still here too.”

“But you didn’t want to watch over them.”

“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” he replied with a smirk. When Kenma started to apologize he quickly shushed him, placing his hand on top of his head. “It’s ok, don’t worry. As long as you had fun today, it was worth it.”

After a quiet moment Kenma nodded. “I had.”

“That’s good. Then you can go to sleep.”

“Ok.” Kenma stood up, but instead of going to his bed like Tetsuro expected him to, he got closer to Tetsuro and sat down on his lap.

A little taken by surprise Tetsuro needed a moment to react. “Kenma, what…?”

“You’re warm,” Kenma murmured and leant against the broad chest.

“Kenma,” the raven slowly started, but didn’t know how to continue. A few seconds later Kenma was already asleep and Tetsuro simply didn’t have the heart to wake him up. He would let him sleep for a while, before he would carry him to his bed.

So it was ok.

He wrapped his hands around Kenma’s waist, shifting him into a more comfortable position. And maybe he drew him a little closer in the process.

It was ok. Probably.

-

The next day Kenma felt surprisingly well. Sure, he had drank way more than he had planned to and he still had no idea when and how he got into his bed, but he had no headache and wasn’t tired either. Some of his friends seemingly hadn’t as much luck as he had and visibly suffered, when they got up. All of them still managed to go home until lunchtime though, so Kenma didn’t need to kick them out – which he definitely would have done, if it’d been necessary.

Just as planned he and Kuro went into town after they had eaten lunch quickly. Even his parents had both been there, congratulating him and giving him his present, although they had to go shortly afterwards again. Not that Kenma had expected otherwise. He hadn’t even looked at what his present was yet. Last time he had gotten a suit and this time it would probably be something similar.

“Let’s get off the bus,” Kuro said from the seat next to him and teared him from his thoughts.

Kenma looked at the raven, getting lost in the feeling of his racing heart and his heating cheeks. He was definitely more than a little nervous.

After taking a deep breath Kenma nodded and followed Kuro outside. “Where do you want to go first?” his bodyguard asked him.

“To the cinema?” the blonde suggested while tilting his head to the side. “I’m not sure if there are any good movies at the moment, but we can take a look?”

Kuro nodded. “Maybe there is a good horror movie.”

Kenma returned Kuro’s bright grin with a frown, while starting to walk towards the cinema. “Do you actually like seeing people suffer, Kuro?” he deadpanned.

The raven’s grin got wider and there was a mischievous glint inside his eyes, but he didn’t respond. Leisurely they strolled through the city, making casual conversation paired with evil comments regarding the clothing choices of other passersby. Sure, it wasn’t the nicest thing to do, but it was fun and really pleasant – and some people genuinely dressed weird.

After Kuro pointed out the absolutely unfavorable choice of legwear of a corpulent woman in a particular snarky way, Kenma couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Kuro, that’s not nice,” he complained between muffled laughs. “The poor woman!”

Kuro huffed. “My poor eyes! I mean, it’s ok to be a little chubby – or _really_ chubby – apart from being not healthy of course. But why do people like that have to wear clothes, which are obviously two numbers too small?”

They went through the cinema’s door as Kenma hummed in response. The walls were completely decorated with posters of airing and upcoming movies and the two stood in front of them, looking for anything interesting. But apart from a few cheesy romance flicks and some already bad looking comedies nothing caught Kenma’s eyes.

“We could watch the new James Bond movie,” Kuro suggested, apparently not happier about the available movies than he was.

Kenma quickly shook his head. “I really can’t stand James Bond movies,” he explained. “They are practically all the same.”

“We could also watch Sharknado.”

“That’s a trash movie.”

“It definitely is,” Kuro stated with a grin.

But Kenma shook his head again. “I don’t like to make fun of movies, which want to be made fun of.”

The raven hummed in response. “You’re right, it’s way better to make fun of people, who take themselves extremely seriously.”

“You mean movies.”

“Sure, if you say so,” Kuro answered with a grin.

Silently Kenma shook his head, a small smile showing on his lips. They continued to discuss which movie to choose, before they randomly decided on an action movie none of them had ever heard of.

While watching the movie they quickly understood why – it was extremely bad. No, scratch that, it literally had been a waste of energy to produce this film. If Kuro hadn’t managed to make jokes and funny comments every other minute, Kenma would have suggested to just stand up and go. But since they were completely alone in the cinema hall, they could at least enjoy themselves a little bit.

Still, they were both kind of glad when they were outside again.

“That was awful,” Kenma groaned and Kuro nodded.

“I can’t believe that actors who are that bad actually get paid.” The raven stretched and Kenma averted his eyes, as he saw the small stripe of skin showing beneath Kuro’s shirt. “So, where do you want to go next?”

“Hm… We could search for a café and look through the shops on the way.”

Kuro nodded at Kenma’s suggestion and they went on their way again.

Although they didn’t really do anything special, just more talking and joking, Kenma just enjoyed the whole situation. Like on their last trip, they spent most of the time looking at books and some movies, not even bothering with shops which sold clothes – actually neither of them was the biggest fan of going shopping.

“Hey, can we go in here for a second?” Kuro asked and halted Kenma next to a pet shop.

Kenma eyed the sign above the door a little warily, but nodded then. “Sure, no problem.”

They were greeted by the high-pitched tinkle of a doorbell, as they stepped into the warm shop. It smelled like you’d expect a pet shop to smell and one could hear the many animals that were most likely for sale. Kenma looked up to Kuro and was about to ask what the raven wanted in here, but the words got stuck in his throat. At the sight of all the small animals, Kuro smiled blissfully. Once more Kenma noticed how _incredibly_ young the raven looked while smiling like this. Young and painfully attractive, on the brink of being beautiful.

Kuro straightly walked to the first enclosure containing small chinchillas. “Look at how cute they are,” he exclaimed cheerfully and crouched in front of the glass.

Slowly Kenma followed him, still not quite sure what he should make of this new information about his bodyguard. “Is it possible that you really like animals?”

The raven nodded. “Yup, the small ones especially,” he explained without taking his eyes off the mouse-like animals. “Cats are my favorites, though.”

Kenma could totally understand. “Yeah, they’re really cute.”

“And pretty selfish,” Kuro added with a grin.

“The perfect fit for you.”

When the raven looked at him offended, Kenma innocently smiled at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kuro growled.

Kenma settled for a hum instead of an answer.

For over an hour they just walked around the shop and watched different animals. Kenma discovered that Kuro liked everything with fur, was very selective about birds and had a strong repulsion against snakes. The teenager gladly took in every information he got like one would treasure water in the desert.

And suddenly his heart started to hurt. Had this date really been a good idea? Was it really good to fall even deeper in love with every new information he learnt?

By now Kenma had pretty much accepted that it was useless to hope for a relationship. Because even if Kuro should reciprocate his feelings in any way – and that was a pretty big if – Kuro had made his point pretty clear. And although it hurt like hell to accept it, Kenma understood his reasons on a rational level. Of course he would gladly abandon his rationality if Kuro just held and kissed him again.

Kenma took a deep breath when they left the shop again. Even though he also liked animals and he definitely did enjoy it, being able to breathe in clean air was undoubtedly a good thing.

“That café over there is pretty good,” Kuro told Kenma, when he joined him.

The teenager followed his gaze across the street and read the sign. He wasn’t familiar with the “Horned Owl”, but he would just trust Kuro’s judgement.

The atmosphere inside the café was domestic and cozy, with wooden tables, chairs and benches. The walls were decorated with beautiful photographs of scenery, cities and sometimes humans. They emanated a certain kind of calmness, which also transferred to the atmosphere.

Kenma followed Kuro to an empty table further back – most of the seats were already taken – and sat down in the comfy looking chair. On their table stood a little vase with a bright red dahlia.

“The cheesecake is freaking amazing,” Kuro stated and handed Kenma the menu.

The teenager took it with a hum and opened it, quickly scanning its contents. Even though the list wasn’t exceptionally long the items varied greatly, from cakes to cookies and other sweet deserts. One thing immediately caught his eye though.

Just as he put the menu down a young man with medium long, dirty blond hair stepped to their table. “Hello Kuroo-san, it’s rare to see you in company.”

A little confused Kenma looked to Kuro, who simply smiled at the waiter. “Yo, Akinori-san. It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Your arm’s fine again?”

“Yeah, it healed completely. Anyway, welcome to the ‘Horned Owl’, what can I get you?”

Kuro gestured to Kenma, letting him order first. The teenager quickly got over his confusion. “I’ll have a cup of black tea and a slice of apple pie.”

“Then _I_ am taking the Manhattan Cheesecake and a cappuccino,” Kuro stated and gave Kenma a short glare.

The waiter wrote everything down and gave them a nod. “It’ll be there in a minute. Should I inform Akaashi-san that you’re here?”

Kuro nodded. “Sure, if he’s here why not. Thanks.”

After the waiter was gone Kenma curiously eyed Kuro, obviously waiting for an explanation. He didn’t have to wait long.

“Akaashi, the owner of this café, is a friend of mine,” the raven told him with a smile. “Well, actually he’s the boyfriend of a friend, but he’s a really cool guy. You’d probably get along with him pretty well, since he’s just as quiet as you.” Then he paused for a moment. “I hope you don’t mind that I practically brought you here. Akaashi probably won’t have much time anyway.”

Quickly Kenma shook his head. “No, not at all. I’m interested in seeing one of your friends.”

They didn’t have to wait long for their food and after being told that Akaashi would come as soon as he had time, they started eating their cakes.

After just one bite Kenma’s whole face lit up in delight. “This is really delicious,” he said pleasantly surprised.

Kuro grinned at him. “I told you so. Here, take a bite of my cake, it’s even better.”

Kenma did as he was told and happily hummed as he tasted the sweet crème on his tongue. “That’s really good too. But I’m sorry, the apple pie definitely wins.”

“Apple pie would win for you no matter what else you could choose, wouldn’t it?” the raven asked with a huff, a small smile tugging on his lips. “You’re still a brat after all.”

Without a comment Kenma stretched his tongue out and continued to eat his pie.

For a few minutes they just ate in silence, each enjoying his own cake, before Kenma spoke up again. “Did you ever have an animal, Kuro?” He had been wanting to ask that since they had stepped into the pet shop, but had never found the right moment.

Suddenly Kuro’s face grew tense and he set his fork down. “Sadly not. My father wasn’t too fond of the idea of having ‘another useless thing he has to feed’.”

Kenma remembered what Kuro had told him about his father and immediately regretted that he had asked such a tactless question. He quickly voiced this, but Kuro dismissed his apology.

“You don’t have to worry about stuff like that. Just ask whatever you want.”

For a moment the teenager was speechless and just looked at the man across from him, but then an involuntary smile formed on his lips. He was more than happy about the offer and would definitely use it. But before he could ask some of the questions waiting on his tongue, they were interrupted by a loud voice.

“Hey, Kuroo! It’s so amazing seeing you here!”

Both of them looked up in surprise, but Kuro’s expression quickly turned into a happy grin and he stood up to pull the man, who had called out to them, in a tight hug.

_ That’s definitely not Akaashi-san _ , Kenma thought to himself, as he watched the two man exuberantly greeting each other. No way would Kuro have called that guy quiet. 

“So you’re Kenma,” the man with the strange greyish hair called out to him with a wide grin, after he and Kuro seemed to have finished with behaving like long lost brothers.

“Kenma, this is Bokuto, my friend,” Kuro told him, before Kenma could answer himself.

“His _best_ friend,” Bokuto added enthusiastically.

Kuro smiled just as wide as him. “Sure, whatever you say, bro.”

Another man stepped to them. “Bokuto-san, please be quiet, you’re disturbing the guests.” His voice was steady and pleasant as well as the rest of his whole appearance. Hell, the guy was downright beautiful. Kenma immediately felt a little intimidated by his presence, but strangely soothed as well.

“But Akaashi,” Bokuto whined. “It’s Kuroo! How can I not be happy?”

“I understand, but you can also be happy with a little less noise.”

Kuro laughed a little at the display and his complaining friend. “Hey, Akaashi.”

The other raven smiled at him. “Hello, Kuroo-san, it’s good to see you again.”

After Kenma was introduced again the teenager managed to smile at Kuro’s friends, even if Bokuto was a little overwhelming. “Do you want to sit down with us for a moment? I’m sure you have a lot to talk about,” he suggested politely.

“Are you sure?” Kuro asked him immediately.

Kenma nodded at that. “Absolutely.”

“That’s really cool of you, Kenma,” Bokuto told him with a grin and Akaashi nodded appreciatively.

Kuro and Bokuto immediately started to talk about their work and shared friends, while Kenma watched everything with a small smile. It surprised him a little that he didn’t mind sitting in a café with two complete strangers and sharing Kuro’s time. But the raven just seemed to be extremely happy to see his friend, and Bokuto and Akaashi were both really nice people – even if he favored Akaashi a little. Only when they started to ask a few questions about him did he get a little uncomfortable.

“I see you have new photographs on the wall,” Kuro interjected at one point. “Was Suga travelling again?”

Akaashi nodded. “Yes, he just came back last week. He was in Taiwan this time.”

The conversation shifted and Kenma shot his bodyguard a thankful look. Then he slowly rose from his chair. “I’m back in a minute,” he stated.

Kuro looked up at him and seemed like he wanted to say something. But then he just nodded and brought his attention back to the conversation.

A few minutes later Kenma stood at the sink and washed his hands, his thoughts still with the group waiting outside. He probably should have guessed that Kuro’s best friend was such a loud and hyperactive guy like Bokuto, and Kenma could only imagine how the two of them behaved usually. But it was really a mystery to him how Akaashi fit in the picture. He just didn’t understand why such a quiet guy like him would go out with Bokuto, but he probably didn’t know them enough to judge. _And,_ he mused for a moment,  _probably no one would guess that I’d fall for a guy like Kuroo._

He sighed a little and turned off the water. Just as he wanted to turn around, there were two arms encircling him, effectively trapping him against the counter. Angrily he wanted to turn around to ask what the hell was going on, when he felt warm breath against his neck.

“It’s so good to see you in person again, Kenma.”

Kenma’s whole body froze.

Oh shit.

He knew that voice.

_ Oh fuck! _

“Don’t be so afraid, Kenma, I’m just here to talk to you. I promise, I wasn’t following you, I found you by chance.”

His muscles didn’t move, his eyes were fixed on the large hands lying against the counter. Hot panic coiled in his stomach and suddenly he had trouble breathing.

One hand let go of the counter and was on his neck the next moment, brushing his hair up. Then Kenma felt wet lips against his skin. “You look so beautiful when you tremble like that, Kenma.” Another kiss. “Originally I just wanted to kill you, you know? But that would really be a waste. So first we’re going to have some fun with each other.”

Kenma’s legs trembled violently and white spots danced across his vision. He had to stay calm, had to push the panic away, had to force himself to breathe.

The man behind him sighed. “It’s such a shame that we can’t do anything right now, with your fucking bodyguard just behind the door.”

That was right. Kuro was outside, waiting for him. Kenma drew a deep breath and calmed himself. Kuro would definitely protect him.

Calloused fingers softly caressed his arm. “But don’t worry. I’ll find you again. Soon.”

Then the warmth against his back was gone and he heard a door opening and closing again.

-

Worriedly Tetsuro eyed the door to the men’s toilet again, waiting for it to move. It definitely had been too long.

Even though Bokuto was in the middle of his sentence, Tetsuro suddenly stood up and made his way to the toilet. He didn’t even take the time to explain himself.

“Kenma?” he loudly called when he stepped inside the bathroom.

Instead of an answer he heard a coughing sound from one of the toilet stalls and he immediately jogged towards it.

“Fuck, Kenma, what happened?” he asked slightly panicked and crouched down next to the vomiting teenager.

After Kenma was finished with throwing up and had wiped his mouth, he slowly turned to Tetsuro. “He was here, Kuro,” he silently muttered, tears in his eyes.

Tetsuro’s body froze. “Who was here?”

“The man on the phone. He was here with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to kill me, don't bother, my sister did that already ^^'
> 
> On another note, play PT! Or at least watch a LP, it's super creepy! I felt like Hinata most of the time xD  
> And lastly - I love Bokuto and Akaashi, I hope you liked them :3
> 
> Please tell me what you thought of this chapter :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, you beautiful people :3  
> Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments in the last (and the previous) chapter, they're incredibly encouraging :)
> 
> I have planned out everything in details now, so I'm pretty sure that it'll be 14 chapters in total, which means we're already half-way through o.o
> 
> I hope you have fun with this chapter, I definitely had :3 And a little warning here - descriptions of a little panic attack follow.
> 
> And as always many thanks to my little sister and my friend Velexica. I love you both :*

“Oh, please no,” Kenma silently muttered, as he dug through his backpack for the third time already.

Kuro seemed to notice this and eyed him curiously. “What’s wrong?”

There was a very prominent frown on Kenma’s face. “I think I left my phone in the classroom.”

Shouyou, who sat across the table, looked up in surprise. “You left your phone? Woah, that’s strange. Did that ever happen before?”

Wordlessly Kenma shook his head. He already knew that he has been out of it for the last few days, which probably wasn’t the biggest surprise, but until now he has managed to hide it from his friends. And he really wanted to leave it that way.

“Do you want to go and get it now?” Kuro asked him and pulled him out of his thoughts.

“That would probably be the best,” Kenma replied with a nod. “We don’t have any lessons in our classroom anymore today.”

Without another word Kuro stood up from next to him and waited for Kenma to do the same. The blonde told his friends goodbye and then went to his classroom, his bodyguard just behind him.

Maybe it should have been obvious, when the hallway was practically empty – actually they didn’t meet a single soul on their way – but he didn’t even notice in that moment.

His classroom was completely deserted too and Kenma went directly to his desk to look underneath it. And even though he didn’t remember ever placing his phone there, he found it immediately.

“I got it,” he announced to Kuro as he stood up. But when he turned around to the door, where he expected the raven to be waiting for him, there was no one. “Kuro?” he asked into the silence. He got no answer.

Just as he wanted to approach the door to look into the hallway, he heard something behind him. Against his belief, he was not alone in the classroom.

There, only a few meters away from him, stood a man and grinned at him. “Hello, Kenma,” he said with that voice Kenma had learnt to hate. “Let’s have some fun.”

-

Tetsuro was an extremely light sleeper by nature, which of course was very convenient considering his job as a bodyguard. So it was no surprise that he immediately woke up to the sound of a weak voice calling his name.

He rose from the couch and looked around the dark room. “Kenma?”

There was a small whimper coming from the teenager’s bed followed by another stifled call of his name. All alarm bells started to ring in his head at that sound. Something was terribly wrong.

With long steps he went over to the bed and reached out to the sitting teenager. “Kenma, what’s wrong?” he asked, worry lacing his voice. But Kenma didn’t answer. Instead he took his hand, gripping it hard and gasped for air.

“Kuro,” he managed between two pants, his normally tranquil voice tinted in panic. “Can’t breathe … Hurts …”

_ Oh fuck _ , Tetsuro thought as he realized what was going on, but he forced himself to stay calm. “I’m here, Kenma,” he said in a steady voice, while he reached to the nightstand and turned the light on. Then he sat down on the mattress and also took Kenma’s other hand inside his, looking him directly into the eyes. “You just had a nightmare, it was nothing more than a dream. But this is reality.” He firmly squeezed his hands. “I’m here with you, you’re safe. Calm down and breathe.”

Kenma nodded vehemently, but continued to pant, his eyes still widened in pure terror. “Kuro…” he whined again. There were even tears prickling in the corner of his eyes.

Tetsuro’s heart clenched in worry and sympathy. He could only imagine how terrible it must feel to be choked by nothing but one’s own fear, and even though he had already dealt with panic attacks in the past, he had never felt this helpless. “Breathe with me,” he commanded and started to take deep breaths, prompting the teenager to do the same.

At first Kenma’s breaths were unsteady and forced, but they gradually evened out. Tetsuro was only satisfied when they were completely in synch and Kenma’s hands stopped shaking. “Good,” he praised calmly and caressed the blond hair.

“I’m sorry, Kuro,” Kenma said as soon as he seemed to have found his voice. “This is so stupid. You shouldn’t have to deal with such stuff in the middle of the night just because I get scared all the time. I’m really sorry.”

Tetsuro sighed deeply. “Kenma, I already told you, you don’t have to apologize. You are literally the one least responsible for this.”

But Kenma didn’t seem to understand – or rather, didn’t seem to _want_ to understand – and quickly shook his head. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to-“

“Kenma!” Tetsuro interrupted him harshly. He didn’t even want to hear the rest of it. The teenager looked up to him, a timid expression on his face, his eyes flooded with unshed tears.

Of course Tetsuro knew that it was everything else than helpful to get angry at Kenma, and actually he wasn’t. Rather he was extremely angry with himself. Imagining what could have happened, while he had been just meters away was simply terrifying, and he wouldn’t ever leave his side again. Not that it would help Kenma to deal with the emotional damage he received. And that was definitely not a minor issue.

Kenma had been miserable these last few days. He was speaking even less than normally, was barely eating and Tetsuro was certain that tonight hadn’t been the first time he had had a nightmare. Of course the teenager tried his hardest to hide his fears and anxieties, and maybe he could fool his friends but definitely not Tetsuro. He noticed every time Kenma flinched when someone called his name, and how nervous he was in school in general.

By now Tetsuro would nearly do anything to take Kenma’s fear away, to make him feel safe, and not just because it was his job.

“I just …” Kenma muttered, averting his eyes. “I just feel guilty, because you waste so much time just sitting next to me.” And maybe there was something he could do, something he hadn’t dared to do until now. The least it would do was to distract Kenma and maybe help him sleep peacefully.

“Kenma,” Tetsuro repeated, gently this time. He cupped Kenma’s face with his hands and turned it upwards, locking their gazes. And when he saw the expression in those golden orbs, he instantly forgot all the reasons holding him back, which he had gathered over the last few months.

He leant forward to kiss those enticing lips, which tasted incredibly sweet and intoxicating. Kenma stifled under his hands. After mere seconds Tetsuro drew back again, softly caressing the cheeks with his thumbs.

“You don’t have to feel guilty about anything,” he stated firmly, looking into Kenma’s eyes all the time. “And I never thought of you as a waste of time. If anything I enjoy our time together probably way too much.” He placed a light peck on Kenma’s lips. “And I know what I said before,” another small kiss, “but I don’t care about that anymore.” The next kiss lingered longer and Tetsuro rejoiced inwardly, when Kenma started to return it. Their mouths moved slowly together, just transmitting all the emotions the raven didn’t dare to speak out loud. The teenager gradually melted into his touch, responding with small noises.

When they parted Kenma was slightly panting again, but this time for a completely different reason. “Kuro,” he sighed against Tetsuro’s lips, before he grabbed his shirt and slipped closer to him. He looked at his bodyguard with large eyes. “More.”

Tetsuro didn’t wait for Kenma to ask again and captured his lips once more, fiercer this time. His hands wandered down to narrow hips and immediately slid under the soft fabric of the shirt, feeling the heated skin under his fingertips. Then he pushed them both forward until the teenager’s back hit the mattress, laying himself down on top of him.

Kenma also pushed Tetsuro’s shirt up and brushed his hands above his naked abs, making the raven shiver at this feeling. At the same time he tilted his head to the side and opened his mouth for the tongue, which licked along his lower lip. He sighed at the feeling of the wet muscle invading his mouth and just clung to the body above of him, while he allowed himself to be kissed breathless.

Tetsuro broke the kiss, giving them both time to breathe, before he attacked Kenma’s neck. Small hands wandered over his back, until his shirt was in the way, so Tetsuro raised himself and took it off, throwing it somewhere on the floor. Then he leant down again to lick the collarbones and leave small bruises everywhere the wide shirt allowed him to, before it followed his own onto the floor.

His hands immediately went to Kenma’s chest, both of his thumbs brushing over the nipples. A satisfied smile showed on Tetsuro’s face, when Kenma shivered underneath him and let out a quiet whine. It pleased him incredibly how responsive the teenager was. He continued to rub the already erect nubs and kissed his way over the chest down to the abdomen, before his hands slid over Kenma’s sides to his hips. Playfully he dipped his tongue into Kenma’s navel reveling in the shudder that ran through the teenager’s body. The hands in his hair tightened, as soon as he bit into Kenma’s hipbones and Kenma let out a low moan.

Tetsuro looked up into the teenager’s face as he licked just above the edge of his boxer shorts and shivered himself, when he saw the dazed expression, the desire in the half lidded eyes and the still wet, panting mouth. It still astonished him how easy and fast Kenma aroused him, simply by doing nothing but reacting to his touch. Another moan spilled from the teenager’s mouth, when Tetsuro slowly tugged the boxers down, freeing the dripping erection. He let his fingers gently run along the whole length, earning a gasp in the process, before he ignored it completely.

The boxers landed next to their shirts. Tetsuro took one of the slender legs, lay it on his shoulder and gently bit next to the knee. Kenma lowly whimpered every time Tetsuro licked and bit across the thigh, sucking a few bruises in the fair skin. Before the raven hadn’t understood the appeal of hickeys, but leaving marks all over Kenma left him strangely satisfied. After he had finished his work and regarded it with a pleased smile, he took the other leg to do the same with it.

Kenma wriggled in his grip. “Kuro,” he whined, “don’t tease so much. Just hurry already.”

Tetsuro leant back and calmly licked his lips. “You’re too impatient,” he teased and nibbled at the skin again.

“I’ve really waited long enough, don’t you think?”

At that the raven could only laugh, but he bent down and gripped the erection with one hand to gently stroke it, before he moved his face closer and placed a small kiss at the tip.

“Wait! I didn’t mean… You don’t have to…” Kenma interrupted himself with a moan as a tongue licked over his whole length.

Tetsuro ignored his pleads and continued to explore the erection with his mouth, simultaneously caressing it with one hand, while the other fixated Kenma’s hips. They still shot up a little as soon as he took the head into his mouth swallowing the few beads of precome.

After another moan, Kenma draped himself on his forearms and looked down to him. “You really don’t have to do it,” he said between heavy breaths. His hand pushed a few black strands out of Tetsuro’s face.

Tetsuro looked up into golden eyes again, while he let the length slide further into his mouth. Then he brought one hand to Kenma’s lips and rested his fingers against them, his request clearly showing on his face. The teenager seemed to understand, because he opened his mouth and sucked three fingers in, just as Tetsuro wanted, licking the spaces between and making obscene sounds in the process.

The raven sat up a little so he could better watch Kenma. The teenager seemed to know exactly how to arouse him as he alternated between sucking, licking and only slightly nibbling at the tips, not averting his eyes for even a second, while he slurped and moaned around the digits, making it sound like he was eating the most delicious ice cream in the world. Tetsuro’s breath started to get ragged and he felt heat crawling all over his skin.

After enjoying the view for quite a while, Tetsuro withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his own mouth letting the teenager invade it with his tongue. He placed his hand against Kenma’s backside and circled the entrance. “Relax, ok?” he murmured into their shared breath and Kenma nodded in response.

He still tensed up a little as the middle finger breached his rim. Tetsuro slid down the slender body and took the erection into his mouth again to distract him from the probably unpleasant feeling. It seemed to work, since Kenma moaned and relaxed noticeably against his touch. Soon Tetsuro was able to add another finger, slowly scissoring and stretching Kenma’s inner walls so he could push his fingers even further inside. When he thrusted three digits inside Kenma’s hips buckled up, pushing his erection deep into Tetsuro’s mouth.

“Fuck, sorry,” Kenma cursed, when Tetsuro had to draw back a little.

But the raven simply brushed over the same spot again, earning a loud gasp followed by another curse, before he continued to suck him off. Kenma’s moans turned into cries as the raven continued to assault all his sensitive spots and his one hand clenched in Tetsuro’s hair again, while his other held onto the sheets.

“Kuro, stop, I’m already close,” Kenma soon started to beg and tried to get the raven’s head away from his crotch, but Tetsuro only groaned at the pleasurable tingle on his scalp, sending vibrations through the teenager’s body.

At that feeling Kenma’s whole body tensed up and lifted from the mattress, and he threw his head back with a muted cry, while he came directly into Tetsuro’s mouth. The raven continued to suck him and stroke his shaft, until his body became limp and fell on the bed again.

Tetsuro carefully swallowed everything and detached himself completely from Kenma, righting himself up in the process.

“You really shouldn’t have swallowed,” Kenma protested breathlessly. “That’s gross.”

The raven laughed in response, while he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Does that mean you won’t kiss me anymore?” he asked playfully and proceeded to lie down next to the teenager.

At that Kenma eyed him confusedly and sat himself up. “What are you doing?”

“You don’t want me to sleep next to you?” Tetsuro said in mock hurt.

Kenma quickly shook his head, climbing on top of his bodyguard. “We’re not finished yet.” He placed his hands on the broad chest beneath him and leant down for a kiss, while he grinded into Tetsuro’s hips.

For a moment Tetsuro returned the kiss, before he broke it to look into Kenma’s eyes. “We don’t have to go all the way,” he said seriously, while his hands caressed the teenager’s hips.

Kenma let out a deep sigh. “Do you have any idea, how long I’ve been waiting for this?” he asked in the same, firm tone. Then a small blush spread across his cheeks. “I already told you that I like you and I want to be together with you in every way possible.”

“Why do you always have to tempt me?” Tetsuro groaned in response and pulled him back into another deep kiss. 

“Because you hold back too much,” the teenager murmured against his lips, making the raven laugh at that.

“Do you have lube?”

“Right there in the drawer,” Kenma answered with a nod and already started to climb to the edge of his bed. “But I don’t have condoms.”

“I have some in my wallet.”

Kenma nodded again. While he stood up to grab it from the coffee table, Tetsuro took his own boxer briefs off and freed his admittedly aching erection. In the very beginning he had actually decided to ignore it, but he could absolutely understand what Kenma meant – he felt exactly the same.

As soon as Kenma stood next to the bed again and dropped the things he had gathered on the mattress, Tetsuro grabbed his hands and tugged him down. “Come here,” he commanded with a low growl, before he locked their mouths and pulled the teenager under himself. One of his hands wandered to Kenma’s still limp member to slowly stroke it back to life.

“You like being in control, don’t you?” Kenma asked with a small laugh, after they broke the kiss.

Tetsuro smirked down at him. “And you’re enjoying it.”

And even though he blushed, Kenma nodded. “A lot.”

Then the atmosphere shifted and they kissed each other desperately, hands wandering over every available centimeter of bare skin, while Tetsuro continued to touch Kenma’s awakening length.

“Just put it in already,” Kenma moaned and grabbed the raven’s biceps.

“Don’t be impatient, it’ll hurt,” Tetsuro scolded slightly, even though he was impatient himself.

“I’ll get used to it.” The teenager squirmed and closed his legs around the raven’s waist. “Kuro, please!”

Tetsuro growled at the need in Kenma’s voice. He bit into the other’s lower lip, earning a low moan, while he busied his hands with pulling a condom on and coating his erection with a generous amount of lube. It was probably way too much, but he wanted Kenma to enjoy it as much as possible. He rubbed the tip of his length over Kenma’s entrance as a warning and Kenma sighed his name encouragingly.

Slowly Tetsuro pushed forward, groaning at the heat, which engulfed his erection. Kenma’s grip on his arms tightened, although he kept the rest of his body pretty relaxed the whole time. “You okay?” Tetsuro asked, panting already, when he was completely seated inside him.

For a moment Kenma only concentrated on his breathing, before he nodded and pulled the raven down into a kiss. “Move,” he commanded against hot lips and started to kiss him again, his tongue immediately invading Tetsuro’s mouth.

Tetsuro let it happen, while he gently moved his hips. Kenma’s one hand tightened in black hair and he tugged at the strands again.

“Kuro, faster! I’m not going to break,” Kenma complained with a whine.

A throaty laugh escaped Tetsuro’s lips. “Don’t tell me, you’re actually a masochist, Kenma.”

The teenager growled in response. “If you continue like this, you’ll never find out.”

“Fuck, Kenma, why are you so fucking perfect?” The raven thrusted his hips hard forward, his fingers digging into Kenma’s flesh, probably leaving marks in the process. Kenma’s moans started to ring loudly through the otherwise silent bedroom, while Tetsuro set a fast rhythm. He tried to angle his hips differently and reveled in Kenma’s loud cries, when he seemingly found his prostrate.

“Kuro,” Kenma moaned, eyes shut tightly and head thrown back again. “I’m close again.”

Tetsuro leant down and kissed along Kenma’s neck. He also took one of the teenager’s hands in his own and interlaced their fingers. His mouth stopped just at Kenma’s ear and he gently bit into his earlobe. “Kenma,” he whispered straight into his ear.

The teenager shivered and tightened around his erection, making Tetsuro moan at the feeling. The raven bit into the sensitive spot just underneath Kenma’s ear. He felt his own orgasm approaching and his hips moved even faster.

“Oh god, Kuro!” Kenma’s hand gripped Tetsuro’s harder and his hips moved together with the raven.

Tetsuro groaned in response, his free hand finding Kenma’s erection to stroke him to completion. After a few more thrusts Kenma came with Tetsuro’s name on his lips, tensing around him, and the raven followed only a few moments afterwards. He continued to move to let them both ride out their orgasm.

After Tetsuro stopped moving he supported his weight on his lower arms, hovering just above Kenma. They were both panting and trying to calm down, but when Tetsuro saw the younger male’s face – the peaceful and absolute content expression – he couldn’t even think about calming down. If anything his heart started to beat even faster and another kind of warmth spread inside his body. He let his head fall down on the mattress just next to Kenma’s and groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Kenma asked, sounding a little absent.

Instead of an answer Tetsuro kissed his neck again, lazily licking the fair skin and earning a blissful sigh. Following an inspiration, he nipped at the earlobe before quietly muttering directly into Kenma’s ear. “I love you,” he whispered.

Before the teenager could react, Tetsuro stood up and made his way into the bathroom, where he disposed of the condom, washed his hands, rinsed his mouth and wetted a cloth, which he brought to Kenma. The teenager still lay on his back, one arm draped above his eyes.

“It’s a little cold,” Tetsuro warned and when Kenma looked at him, he started to wipe the teenager’s abdomen.

They both stayed silent during the process. Tetsuro brought the washcloth into the bathroom again, and when he came back to the bed Kenma had already made room for him. The raven picked up both of their shorts from the floor and they put them on, before Tetsuro slid under the blanket and turned the light off. Kenma immediately slid into his arms and snuggled up against his chest. Of course Tetsuro gladly wrapped his arms around the slender body and buried his nose in the blond hair. By now he was extremely tired – not that it surprised him.

“You’re unfair,” Kenma suddenly muttered into the silence.

“Hm?”

“You can’t just say something like this and then go away.”

Since Tetsuro didn’t really know how to respond, he simply settled for another “Hm.”

When Kenma touched his face, the raven opened his eyes again to meet the gaze from golden eyes. “I love you too, Kuro,” the teenager whispered.

Tetsuro’s heart beat unnecessary fast. Again he was completely astonished how hard he had fallen in love – he couldn’t even remember that he had ever felt this way before.

Their mouths met in a soft and loving kiss.

Then Tetsuro suddenly remembered something. “Wait a second,” he muttered, before he stood up once more and went over to where his things were, gathering a small paper bag. He turned the light on again and gave the bag to Kenma, who was curiously watching him.

“Your birthday present,” Tetsuro explained. “Of course it’s already a little late, but I just didn’t find the right moment to give it to you.”

Kenma seemed a little at a loss for words, as he looked between the bag and Tetsuro. “I … You didn’t have to-”

“I know,” Tetsuro quickly interrupted him. “Just unwrap it already.”

With a nod Kenma undid the sticky seal and opened it. He took out a leathern necklace with a yellow brown gem as a pendant dangling from it.

Tetsuro uncomfortably averted his eyes and scratched his neck. When he had bought it – or rather, when Akaashi had bought it for him – he had thought that it was a good idea, but now he wasn’t so sure anymore. “It’s called ‘Tiger’s eye’,” he explained. “It’s a stone of protection and it’s supposed to enhance you luck and self-confidence. And… I just thought it fitted you.”

The blonde didn’t say anything and just stared at the pendant in his hand and with every second Tetsuro got more convinced that it had been a really dumb idea. He just wanted to say something similar, when Kenma looked at him with large, seemingly glowing eyes.

“It’s really beautiful, I love it,” he exclaimed and a smile decorated his face. “Thank you so much.”

Tetsuro returned the smile with one of his own. “My pleasure,” he answered, while he helped the teenager put it on.

When they were settled on the bed again – paper bag put away and light turned off – Tetsuro kissed the top of Kenma’s head, who smiled contently.

The raven was simply happy in that moment, and maybe him finally being true to his feelings had been the best decision of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It finally happened! Yey! \^o^/  
> After all I put them through, they definitely deserved a little happiness :)
> 
> I really hoped you enjoyed it, since it's probably the most important chapter until now.
> 
> As always, please tell me what you thought of this :3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers!
> 
> I got so many amazing comments again and that made me so happy, thank you, I love you all ;v;  
> I also got [this amazing fanart](http://onepieceperson.tumblr.com/post/143151218323/i-drew-kuroo-and-kenma-as-sapphire-and-jeeves-from) from the beautiful OnepiecePerson and it's _so amazingly cute!!!_ Thank you so much dear, I'll love you for all eternity!
> 
> As always many thanks to my little sister and Velexica for beta-reading :3
> 
> Enjoy the chapter °3°/

For the second time in his life Kenma woke up with Kuro next to him. He nearly snickered, when he saw how his bodyguard was sleeping, but held himself back so that he wouldn’t wake him up. The raven lay on his stomach, his head buried under a pillow and his arms crossed above it – that probably explained the unruly hairstyle Kuro normally had.

With a blessed smile Kenma snuggled into the heat the raven always emitted. He still couldn’t believe that the last night had really happened, that he really was lucky enough to be able to call Kuro his lover from now on.

Lover.

He liked that sound. He liked it a lot.

 Just thinking about that word was enough to make a pleasant warmth spread throughout his body and speed up his heart considerably. But it seemed kind of strange to Kenma that Kuro had to do nothing for him to feel that way. It definitely hadn’t been like this with his last boyfriend.

In that moment Kuro stirred a little. “Kenma?” he asked sleepily and turned his head around, keeping his eyes closed.

The teenager hummed in response.

Kuro’s arms closed around him and pulled him closer until he lay halfway on top of the older male.

“Good morning,” the raven murmured into his hair, after placing a kiss onto it.

“Morning,” Kenma answered just as tired. He had to clear his throat, because it felt somehow scratchy.

“Has the alarm rung yet?”

As if on command Kenma’s smartphone started to play the song he had set as his alarm tone. “Yes, it has,” he deadpanned unnecessarily and Kuro groaned in response. With a sigh the raven turned around to the nightstand to turn it off, while Kenma sat up on his side of the bed. He grimaced, when he felt the soreness in his lower back.

“I need to take a shower,” he stated with a sigh of his own.

Kuro nodded. “Same here.”

For a moment Kenma just looked at him and a blush crawled on his face. “We could … you know … go in together, if you want.”

He blushed even harder, when Kuro laughed. “I don’t think we have time for that, Kenma.”

“No! I-” Kenma’s whole face as well as his ears and his neck were flushed by now and his gaze dropped down to the hands in his lap. “I didn’t mean it like that. I only said that we could shower together.”

“And I say,” Kuro said in a low voice, while he slid closer until their lips nearly met, “that you should go as long as I still let you.” He placed a slow, sensual kiss on the younger male’s mouth and smiled when Kenma’s breath hitched. “Just as you wanted, I won’t hold back anymore. I hope you’re prepared.”

Kenma needed a moment, before he moved to the edge of his bed and stood up to go into his bathroom. But after a few steps he turned around again and went back. There was absolutely no need to be shy, he reminded himself as he placed his hand on one of Kuro’s thick thighs and secretly enjoyed the way the strong muscle tensed under it. Kuro looked at him expectantly. The raven was his boyfriend now, so he could be as demanding and straightforward as he wanted. Kenma leant down to engage him in another kiss, harder and more demanding than the previous one.

“That’s exactly how I want it,” he whispered against wet lips. Then he turned around and went to his bathroom, this time for real.

Before he closed the door he could hear Kuro murmur to himself, something that sounded suspiciously like, “This brat is going to be the death of me.”

-

Even though they distracted each other a lot – involuntary most of the time – they both managed to take a shower and eat breakfast in time. And as always it didn’t take too long until Tetsuro pulled up into the parking lot just next to the school. As he turned the engine off he turned around to Kenma to stop him from exiting the car.

“Kenma, I know that you’re normally a pretty intelligent guy,” he started slowly, earning a confused look, “so I probably don’t have to say that you can’t tell anyone about us.”

Kenma huffed. “Of course I know that,” he answered after coughing a little. But before getting out of the car he halted for a moment. “Wait, not even Shouyou?”

That was exactly what Tetsuro had expected. “I just don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“Wouldn’t it rather be you who’d get into trouble?” Kenma snorted. “Poor, young me, getting seduced by my own bodyguard.”

Tetsuro frowned at that. “Hey, you’re theoretically an adult now. And you’re sure that’s how it went? I think it was you who seduced me first.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kenma countered and had the nerve to look at him with large, innocent eyes.

Tetsuro could only snort at that. “Brat.”

“Old man.”

Despite their insults they looked at each other fondly, until Tetsuro made a waving motion towards Kenma’s door. “Let’s go inside, before I’ll do something stupid.”

“I thought you wanted to stop holding back,” the teenager teased while he stepped outside and brought a hand to his mouth to suppress a cough.

Tetsuro’s eyebrows shot up. He locked the car and followed Kenma to the school building, his gaze automatically skimming through the parking lot. “Are you testing my self-control on purpose?”

“Maybe I want to see what happens when you lose it.”

“You should be careful what you wish for, Kenma,” Tetsuro growled lowly, careful not to be too loud although there was no one near them. “You shouldn’t be too cheeky.”

Tetsuro’s stomach tightened at the slightly sultry look Kenma directed at him. “Maybe I simply like to be punished,” he practically purred, just as quietly.

Of course Tetsuro’s imagination was as helpful as always, providing him with very detailed images of Kenma kneeling on his bed with reddened ass-cheeks and begging for forgiveness – just as they entered the building.

Tetsuro sighed before he put on his best poker-face. He hadn’t even suspected that he wanted to try something like that, but he was nearly certain by now that Kenma would manage to draw everything out of him.

-

The day passed quite uneventfully. Tetsuro just busied himself with staring holes in Kenma’s back and apparently it didn’t go by unnoticed. More than once the teenager turned around to give him an angry look, which he only answered with one of his famous smirks. And strangely it didn’t get boring.

Of course he still had to watch out to not be too conspicuous, but thankfully the teachers were already so used to him that they didn’t bother giving him any unnecessary attention.

“Could you please stop doing that?” Kenma asked him when it was time to go to the cafeteria.

Tetsuro stood up to follow him. “Hm? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You‘ve been staring at me the whole day already,” the teenager answered with a frown, while maneuvering through the mass of people, always paying attention that no one other than Kuro heard him.

“Suddenly you’re being shy? Isn’t it a little late for that?” Of course he knew by now that Kenma was by no means shy – it had even surprised him how straightforward the teenager could be sometimes –, but it was simply way too much fun to mess with him.

“I’m not-” Kenma started, but interrupted himself with a sigh as he saw the teasing smirk on Tetsuro’s face. “Why are you such a jerk sometimes?”

Tetsuro just grinned without giving a clear answer – not that Kenma seemed to expect one. While they were wandering around the cafeteria to get some food, his eyes skimmed through the gathered people to spot anyone suspicious. As always he only saw a bunch of students, who tried to get their food a few minutes before the others.

They spotted Hinata and Haiba at their regular table and went to join them, after getting lunch for themselves. After greeting each other and sitting down Tetsuro noticed the orange-haired staring intently at Kenma.

The teenager seemed to notice it himself. “What’s wrong, Shouyou? Why are you staring?”

A slow smile spread on Hinata’s face. “You seem to be better.”

“I … guess I’ve slept really well today,” Kenma admitted and even blushed a little.

Tetsuro pulled his eyebrow up. Of course he was glad that Kenma seemed better already, but he did not think that anyone – especially Hinata – would notice. He looked at the blonde’s face to see what Hinata could have observed, and there indeed was more color on his cheeks and his eyes seemed livelier, shining a little.

“Hm, that’s good then,” the ginger hummed and shifted his attention to his food again.

“Huh? Was there something wrong, Kenma-san?” Haiba asked, confused.

Kenma just shook his head. “No, everything’s fine, don’t worry,” he quickly assured his friend, before he coughed a little.

Even though the half-Russian didn’t seem convinced, he didn’t have time to ask further since some of Kenma’s friends joined them in that moment, and their conversation shifted again to some tests the students seemed to have coming up the following week.

 Tetsuro lost interest in the conversation and busied himself with eating and observing again, until Kenma pulled him out of his thoughts to go to his next lesson.

Like every Tuesday Kenma had P.E. in the afternoon so they went to the school’s gymnasium. Watching the student during P.E. wasn’t any more or less interesting, but when Kenma’s teacher decided that they should go outside, Tetsuro had to observe the surroundings even better than normally. And despite the already pretty cold temperatures, that man thought pretty often that it was a good idea – he was one of those overly active types, who did nothing but sports all the time.

Tetsuro sat on a bench and watched the students running around the sports ground. Of course he had already thought about joining them – especially since he didn’t have time to go the fitness center anymore – and the teacher even had offered it, but he wouldn’t be able to pay as much attention. And it would probably be strange.

Of course his gaze always wandered to Kenma, because he simply liked watching the blond teenager. But something seemed strange today.

Kenma wasn’t exactly the sportiest type, and Tetsuro certainly knew that by now, but he seemed way out of shape today. He seemed to have trouble keeping up with the rest and his breathing was way too uneven for the few amount of laps he has ran to that point.

When it dawned on Tetsuro he cursed inwardly. He actually _had_ noticed how Kenma had coughed the whole day, at least unconsciously. And the flushed face and the glossy eyes probably should have been a sign too.

“Kozume! What do you think you’re doing? Keep your ass moving!” the teacher shouted, when Kenma stopped jogging and supported himself on his knees not far from Tetsuro.

The raven stood up and walked over to him. “Kenma, are you alright?” He bowed down to him. Dumb question, he definitely did _not_ look alright. “You’re sick, aren’t you?”

“What? No!” Kenma looked up to him with shock on his face. “I’m not sick. I just need a second.”

Tetsuro frowned. “Bullshit,” he muttered and lay a hand on the teenager’s forehead. “You have a fever.”

“No,” Kenma whined. But his protest died in his own cough.

With raised eyebrows Tetsuro watched the teenager, but didn’t comment. He turned around to the teacher, when he stepped to them. “What’s wrong?” the older man asked.

“I’m sorry sir, but Kenma is sick so I’ll bring him home.”

As if to prove his bodyguard’s point Kenma violently coughed again.

The teacher frowned. “Well, I guess that’s for the best then.”

Kenma still seemed quite displeased, but Tetsuro definitely wouldn’t change his decision.

-

“38.7,” Tetsuro announced as he looked at the thermometer. “If it gets any worse, I’m taking you to a doctor.

As soon as they had gotten to Kenma’s home, Tetsuro made him lay in bed.

The raven sat down next to the teenager on the mattress and brushed a few blond strands out of his face. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Kenma frowned. “I don’t like being sick.”

With a sigh Tetsuro ruffled his hair. “There’s nothing you can do about it.” He stood up and placed a kiss on the way too hot forehead. “Just hurry and get healthy again. I’ll go and make you some tea.”

While he was in the kitchen and waited for the water to boil, he called Kenma’s mother to tell her about her sick son.

“Oh no, my poor baby,” she said. “I know this is quite presumptuous of me, but could you take care of my son? Unfortunately I can’t leave the office at the moment.”

Tetsuro frowned. Of course he would take care of Kenma, but the woman didn’t sound as if she actually cared. At least she didn’t sound like a mother should sound. “Sure, no problem Kozume-san.”

The woman thanked him, before she quickly ended the call. Tetsuro sighed as he proceeded to brew Kenma’s tea. Sadly he knew how it was like to have parents that didn’t care about their child and Kenma definitely deserved better than that.

When he came back into the bedroom, a hot cup in one hand, Kenma looked up to him from where he lay and then sat up.

“Thanks,” he murmured and carefully reached out for the tea, while the raven sat down next to him. “And sorry.”

Tetsuro’s eyebrows rose in confusion. “Why are you apologizing?”

“Well, it’s… It’s annoying to take care of sick people,” he slowly answered and got quieter with every word.

Once again Tetsuro frowned. “Kenma, you really have to stop thinking of yourself as annoying,” he gently chided the teenager. Although he could actually imagine where this way of thinking came from. His mother’s attitude had been quite obvious and his father probably wasn’t a tad better.

Kenma looked like he was ready to protest again, but Tetsuro kissed him before he could even start. “You could never annoy me,” he whispered against Kenma’s lips as he drew back.

The teenager blushed a little and lowered his gaze to his cup. “You shouldn’t do that,” he muttered. “You’ll just get infected.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise,” Tetsuro responded with a smile and stood up again. “Try to sleep, ok?”

Kenma nodded with an “Ok” and placed the cup on his nightstand, after taking another gulp. “Can you close the blinds, please?” he asked, while he shifted into a comfortable position.

“Sure.” Tetsuro did as he was asked to, before he left the room.

-

For three whole days Kenma had to rest in bed, while Kuro nursed him. His mother came to look after him on the first evening, but after she had decided that his condition was not so bad after all, she had left him in Kuro’s care. On the weekend Shouyou had decided that he definitely had to visit him after Kenma hadn’t been in school for so long. But he had also decided that he definitely should learn for the math test his class was going to write on the following Monday.

That was exactly the reason why Shouyou and Lev were sitting in his room on Saturday afternoon and tried to understand what was written in their textbooks. Kenma himself was copying the notes Fukunaga had lent him.

“Why do I even have to use letters in math?” Lev whined certainly not for the first time. “It doesn’t even make sense to multiply two e’s.”

Shouyou just groaned in response. “I already told you that it’s just a variable for another number.”

“I know that, Euler’s number and everything, but how am I supposed to calculate with that? It would be easier to just use the actual number.”

Kenma looked up from his notes to his underclassman and frowned. “There are certain rules you can only use with that constant,” he explained shortly, before he went back to his own stuff.

Lev let his head fall down with a sigh.  “Kenma, I don’t understand it. Can’t you just show me?”

The blonde looked up again and contemplated his request for a second, before he stood up with a sigh of his own and sat down next to the half-Russian. “Look,” he said and took the pen. “This exercise? You do that, so you can add these two numbers and then you get to that solution.”

Kuro, who sat on the couch the whole time and read a book, snorted. “You know, he’s not going to get it when you just solve the exercise for him,” he stated when Kenma looked at him questioningly.

“And what else am I supposed to do?”

“Normally you’d try to explain it.”

Kenma frowned. He knew that he wasn’t exactly good at explaining things to others.

“Why don’t you try it then?”

He also knew that he wasn’t being fair right now. But he was actually a little pissed at Kuro – and at Shouyou and Lev as well.

His bodyguard – who was supposed to be his lover – had refused to touch him since Tuesday. Kenma didn’t know if it was just because he had been sick or if there were more reasons.

An evil voice inside his head tried to convince him that Kuro actually regretted what they had done, or that Kenma had done something wrong and the raven simply wasn’t interested in him anymore. But he did his best to ignore it – the way Kuro had treated him told him otherwise.

The raven was incredibly tender and practically buried him in affection – when he wasn’t teasing him excessively. Kenma, of course, loved both sides of him, the loving one and the mischievous one, although he would probably never admit it to anyone.

The reason he was angry at Shouyou and Lev was actually pretty simple too. He was finally healthy again and his parents weren’t at home for the whole day – the perfect opportunity to enjoy some time with his boyfriend, _if his friends hadn’t just invited themselves._

Kuro returned Kenma’s pouty look calmly, before he silently sighed and stood up. “Scoot over,” he told him and sat down between him and Lev, turning to the latter. “Let me take a look.”

After the raven had looked at the student’s textbook for only a few seconds, he started to explain the topic to Lev and also Shouyou, who came closer to look at what Kuro was writing. And Kenma had to admit, it was the best explanation of the Euler’s number and the matching rules he has ever heard.

While he observed how his boyfriend taught his friends nearly everything they had been supposed to be learning since the beginning of last month, he remembered that Kuro once had told him how he had wanted to become a teacher in the past. Now that Kenma had seen how the raven seemed to enjoy explaining things he wondered even more why he hadn’t pursued that goal.

They continued like this for quite a while, and Shouyou and Lev seemed to be completely delighted with the way Kuro taught them – they even seemed to understand everything.

Lev had to leave after two hours, saying something about how his sister wanted to go shopping with him, but Shouyou still stayed for a while.

As always they decided to play some video games.

Kuro sat back on the couch, book already in his hands, and Shouyou did the same on the other end, while Kenma went to start the console and gather the controllers. On the way back he thought about going straight to Kuro and snuggle up against him – his chest was surprisingly comfortable – but of course he couldn’t do that as long as Shouyou was there. He nearly sighed at that thought.

After settling between the other two and giving one controller to Shouyou they started to play. But somehow Kenma just couldn’t concentrate on the game. He still beat his ginger friend without problems though, even while getting more impatient by the minute. Against his will his eyes wandered to Kuro all the time and he even caught himself leaning towards his bodyguard now and then.

“You know, you two can just cuddle, I have no problem with that.”

Shocked, both Kuro and Kenma turned to Shouyou, staring at him with wide eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kenma slowly replied, although he didn’t even believe himself.

Shouyou snorted at that. “I’ve known you for long enough, Kenma, there’s really no use in hiding it from me,” he explained. “Actually I’m kind of hurt that you didn’t tell me.”

Kenma really didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply didn’t. Next to him Kuro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “That’s my fault,” the raven stated. “I asked him not to tell you.”

“Well, I can see why I guess.”

“And there wasn’t really an opportunity,” Kenma added. “We … got together just the day before I got sick.”

Kuro chuckled. “You mean the night before.”

His expression probably showed exactly what Kenma was thinking, as he shot Kuro an angry look while blushing profusely.

“Oh, _now_ you’re getting shy?” Kuro asked while laughing. “Really?”

With a frown Kenma lightly hit his bodyguard. “You’re being a jerk again.”

This time Shouyou chuckled. “And you really thought people wouldn’t notice. But I’m really happy for you.”

Kenma blushed even harder and he lowered his gaze. “Thanks, I guess.”

With a bright grin Shouyou leant closer to him and started to ruffle his hair. “No need to thank me, Kenma.”

“Stop that!” With another frown the blonde leant back and grabbed Shouyou’s wrists to push him away.

They continued to struggle on the couch and Kuro even had to move out of their way. Kenma’s door opened in the exact moment Shouyou practically sat on top of Kenma.

“Kenma, we-” His father stopped when he saw what was going on.

The teenagers parted and orderly sat on the couch again. “Hi, dad,” Kenma greeted a little awkwardly and Shouyou joined with a “Hello, Kozume-san.”

Kenma’s father nodded. “Good evening, Hinata-kun, Kuroo-san. Yamazaki-san has invited us for dinner, Kenma. We are going to leave in an hour, be prepared until then.”

It was really hard to suppress a frown. “Yes, dad,” he answered obediently.

His father only nodded once more before he left the room again. As soon as he was gone Kenma let out a long sigh.

“It’s not going to be that bad,” Kuro tried to cheer him up and nudged him with his knee.

“It will be, and you know it.”

-

It had been as bad as Kenma had imagined.

When they finally got back he practically stormed into his room, Kuro just a few steps behind him. He quickly took off his jacket and his tie and threw them unceremoniously over his couch. “I’m going to take a shower,” he announced to Kuro, before he stomped into his bathroom.

Kuro had already changed into the clothes he slept in and was setting up the alarm when Kenma came out of the bathroom. The raven looked up when the teenager approached him and he automatically spread his arms as Kenma went in for a hug.

With a sigh Kenma leant into the touch enjoying the other’s warmth against his body and the spicy smell he loved so much. He was more than happy that Kuro didn’t ask him what was wrong – he probably didn’t need to.

“Will you sleep with me in my bed tonight?” Kenma asked into the t-shirt.

Kuro hummed. “I would have done that even if you didn’t ask.”

“So you would force yourself on me? Pervert.”

“Be honest, you actually like it.” He placed a small kiss on the blond hair.

Kenma snorted in response, but didn’t comment. Instead he backed away from his lover to go over to his bed. Before following him Kuro turned the lights off.

As soon as they lay next to each other Kenma snuggled up against Kuro, who immediately pulled him into his arms.

“I hate it when my father does that,” Kenma said after a few silent minutes.

Kuro was softly running his hand up and down his spine. “What do you mean exactly?”

“I mean how he always has to introduce me to daughters of his company partners.” Today had been especially bad. His father had bugged him the whole time about how nice the Yamazaki daughter was and how he had to finally find himself a girlfriend. He had been so close to just telling him to shut up, especially in front of Kuro, but as always he had swallowed all his comments. “I don’t understand why he wants me to marry so bad, it’s the 21st century for fuck’s sake!”

Kuro hummed in agreement. “It’s probably a stupid question, but have you ever told him that you don’t want to inherit his company?”

“I don’t see how that would work,” Kenma replied with a snort. “It’s not like he’s interested in what I want to do anyway.”

“What _do_ you want to do?”

“Hm…” For a moment Kenma was silent and propped himself up on one elbow. He looked his boyfriend into the eyes. “I never thought about it,” he admitted after a few more silent seconds. “It’s not like it matters anyway.”

Kuro’s eyebrows shot up. “Of course it matters. It is your life.” He lifted one hand to caress the teenager’s cheek. “There’s nothing that matters more than what you want.”

There was a frown slowly forming on his face. “Then why didn’t you become a teacher?”

Kuro had obviously not expected that, judging by the shocked expression and how his hand stopped midair. He slowly let it fall down. “That’s different,” he stated in a tone that showed just how much he didn’t like to talk about that topic.

“How is that any different?” Kenma sounded nearly defiantly by now and sat up completely.

“I already told you that I’m indebted to my boss. I can’t just stop working for her.”

“And I just can’t tell my father that I don’t want to work at his company!”

Kuro huffed. “You didn’t even try, how would you know that?”

“I could ask you the same. If this woman really cares about you she shouldn’t have a problem if you leave.” Kenma knew in the moment he said it that it was mean and unfair, and he actually didn’t want to say it. But it was too late and he could already see the anger in Kuro’s face.

“Don’t talk about something you have no idea about,” the raven growled.

Kenma whimpered. “I’m sorry, Kuro. I didn’t mean it. I’m just-” he interrupted himself with a sigh, dropping his gaze to the mattress.

 A few seconds later Kuro mirrored his sigh. “No, I’m sorry.” He gently placed a hand under his chin to turn his face up. Their eyes locked. “I know that I’m not being fair. I will tell you everything sometime, ok?”

“Of course. You don’t even have to tell me, if you don’t want to.”

“No, I… I want you to know.” This time Kuro turned his eyes away. “It’s just not easy to talk about.”

The teenager nodded in understanding. “I’m still really sorry, though,” he said after they quietly looked at each other. “You’re completely right, I should talk to my father. It’s just really hard to talk back to him after all these years.”

Kuro’s hand was back at his cheek again. “I’ll help you, if you want.”

With a smile Kenma gently thudded their foreheads together. “Thank you,” he murmured quietly.

Kuro answered with a hum and his hand slid into his neck, pulling him into a soft kiss. “Do you want to go to sleep now?” the raven asked against wet lips as they parted.

“Mhm, not yet,” Kenma answered, before he initiated another kiss.

Contently Kuro smirked. “Good,” he murmured, while his hands wandered down his lover’s back.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More happiness! Yey \^o^/  
> I just really want the boys to be happy for a bit, because they definitely deserve it :3
> 
> If you ever want to talk to me you can find me on twitter under the pseud @SaendyH
> 
> Please tell me what you thought of this :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 5000 hits!  
> You have no idea how happy I am! When I started this I would never have guessed how much positive feedback I'd get from you guys! You're seriously the best! Thank you guys, I love you <3
> 
> Also I got [another absolutely adorable fanart](http://onepieceperson.tumblr.com/post/143309206078/i-made-more-art-for-this-fic)! I nearly bursted from happiness! *-*
> 
> Anyway, a lot of thanks to my sister Yumia (who has her own account now!) and my dear friend Velexica for beta-reading and giving me tips :3
> 
> I hope you have fun with this :)

It soon became obvious that Kenma loved to run his hands through Tetsuro’s hair and the raven enjoyed it just as much. So it wasn’t uncommon that Tetsuro’s head lay in the teenager’s lap, while he was playing his video games or when they were watching a movie together.

Today it was similar. Kenma was playing a game, which was more like an interactive movie, so he had a lot of opportunities to caress the black hair with one hand. Tetsuro was also watching the game, interestedly following the story on screen. He felt absolutely content at that moment, so much that he would probably purr if he could. They had been together for more than two weeks already and had only gotten more comfortable around each other over the time, even though they still had to be extremely secretive around other people.

“Say, Kuro?” Kenma asked into the calm atmosphere.

“Hm?” the bodyguard hummed in response, not shifting his gaze from the monitor.

Apart from the voices from the game it was quiet for another few moments, before Kenma silently muttered, “Nothing, forget it,” and simply resumed to control the character.

Now Tetsuro’s interest was piqued and he gazed up to his lover. Kenma had a strange look on his face, gnawing on his lips and nervously looking down to him from time to time. Somehow Tetsuro got the feeling that it was something important to Kenma and he just didn’t dare to talk about it.

So the raven asked, “What’s wrong? Talk to me, Kenma.”

Once more Kenma bit on his lower lip and shot him an uncertain look, before he sighed a little. “I was just curious … would you let me top you?”

Tetsuro had _never_ suspected to get a question like that from Kenma, so he froze. “Uh…” he slowly started and _really_ didn’t know how to answer that. The thought just had never crossed his mind, their roles had always felt natural. But now he tried to imagine it.

“Sure, I guess,” he responded after a few moments. He sat up and turned around to the blonde, who paused the game and put the controller down to fully face his boyfriend. The raven continued. “I mean, I don’t actually like it, but if you want to we can always give it a try.”

“You’ve tried before?” Kenma asked, while a small frown was forming on his face.

Tetsuro awkwardly coughed at that memory. “Ah … yeah. With Bokuto. We kinda fooled around a little during high school.”

Kenma’s eyes grew large and he obviously tried to process what the raven just had told him. Tetsuro didn’t really like thinking back to those times. It’s not that he was ashamed or that he regretted ever doing it with his best friend, but it had been really bad times. Bokuto had always been there for him, in more than one way, and he had gone to great lengths to support him, to comfort him – to keep him from breaking.

The small hand on his thigh pulled him from the dark thoughts of his past, and he focused his gaze on beautiful, golden eyes in front of him. Kenma leant towards him and Tetsuro met him halfway in a short kiss.

“Were you two, like, really together?” the teenager asked curiously.

Tetsuro shook his head. “No, never. We never were more than friends. We discovered really quickly that we weren’t compatible in any other way.”

After nodding in understanding Kenma initiated another loving kiss, but when he wanted to draw back shortly afterwards, Tetsuro chased after him and lay a hand in his neck to keep him in place. The raven kissed him with more eagerness and Kenma soon melted in his touch, leaning forward once more.

“Is the door locked?” Tetsuro asked into their shared breaths and Kenma nodded with a gulp. After the affirmation the raven pulled his boyfriend against his lips once more, growing more demanding by the second. He could already feel the familiar heat crawling over his skin, when the blonde impatiently climbed into his lap.

Tetsuro rested his hands at the teenager’s hips and his tongue found its way into the other’s mouth, slowly moving inside the wet cavern. Tetsuro was already familiar with Kenma’s weight on his lap, since they somehow started to make out more often than not, and by now he knew all of his lover’s sweet spots.

Kenma’s hands wandered along his front and caressed his chest through the fabric of his shirt, making Tetsuro shudder under the touch. The blonde broke their kiss and leant back a little, looking at him from under his lashes. Again he started to gnaw at his lower lip.

“Don’t do that,” Tetsuro chided him and stroked the abused lip with his thumb. “What are you thinking about?”

Kenma looked at him with large eyes, seemingly thinking about something, while he sucked the tip of the finger into his mouth. “I can’t imagine myself topping you,” he admitted a little shyly. “I don’t really think that I could actually do it.”

“We don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.” Tetsuro smirked. “I have no problem with doing all the work.”

Kenma responded with a smile of his own. “I know,” he said and cupped his boyfriend’s face to pull him into a kiss. His hands slid into the raven’s neck. He had quickly learned that Tetsuro liked to be dominant and he definitely wouldn’t complain about that.

“But if you ever want to try something different, you just have to say it,” the raven added with a crooked grin. “I don’t mind trying something … kinky.”

Kenma laughed at that. “Pervert.”

Tetsuro only hummed and locked their mouths together again. The teenager sighed into the contact, tilting his head to the side to deepen the kiss.

They continued to lazily move together, hands slowly wandering over and then under clothes. Tetsuro drew back from the kiss and let his mouth wander down the slender neck in front of him, lightly nibbling at the skin. He earned a small gasp, when he started to lick and suck at the throat.

“Don’t leave any marks, Kuro,” Kenma said breathlessly, leaning his head back to give Tetsuro better access to his skin.

“You don’t want your friends to notice?”

“I don’t care about them, but I don’t want my dad to see.”

Tetsuro stopped to look at his lover. “Wouldn’t he be happy if you just told him that you have a girlfriend?”

“Ah… well, no,” Kenma answered while shaking his head. “He knows that I’m gay.”

That surprised Tetsuro more than it probably should. “You told him?”

“No, he … kinda …” It was more than obvious that it was an unpleasant topic to Kenma. “He saw my last boyfriend kissing me by chance.”

Tetsuro frowned a little. He hadn’t even known that Kenma had been in a relationship before. “Is that why your father is so insistent on introducing you to girls?”

“Hm, maybe that’s part of the reason.”

They grew silent. Tetsuro really wasn’t sure if he should continue to pry, but then he remembered that he had just told Kenma about him and Bokuto, so it was probably ok for him to be curious. “Did you break up with your ex because of that?”

Kenma contemplated about it for a moment. “It wasn’t the only reason,” he explained after a few seconds. “I mean of course dad forbade me to ever see him again, but I probably would have broken up with him anyway. I wasn’t really together with him because I liked him much or anything. He asked me out and I just kind of agreed.”

“Was he also older?”

“Just one year. He was in his third year and I was in my second. I would have broken up with him as soon as he’d finish school. It may sound cruel, but I simply didn’t care enough to continue the relationship, when I couldn’t even see him regularly. But he didn’t seem too sad about it, he even said he suspected it.”

Tetsuro hummed and absentmindedly rubbed small circles into his lover’s hips.

“You’re not worrying, are you?” Kenma asked uneasily. “That was completely different from what we have. I didn’t like him half as much, as I like you.”

“I know, I’m not worried about that,” Tetsuro assured him quickly with a small smile. “I just thought that I know less about you than I would like to. And you’re way more mature than I first thought.”

Kenma played with the hem of Tetsuro’s shirt and shyly gazed up at him. “Is that bad?”

“No, of course not. It just means that I’ll annoy you with tons of questions from now on.” Tetsuro leant forward and pecked the teenager’s lips.

Now Kenma looked him in the eye again and smiled. “I think I can live with that.”

“Good.” The raven pulled his lover closer again pushing his tongue into Kenma’s mouth, who accepted it willingly and met it with his own.

But before they could start to really deepen the kiss, Tetsuro’s phone vibrated in his jeans pocket, making the raven groan a little. After another short peck he moved the teenager on his lap a little so that he could grab his phone and look at the screen.

“Hey bro, what’s up?” he answered his phone. When Kenma looked at him questioningly, he simply smiled and tugged a few of the blond strands behind his ear.

Bokuto greeted him as loudly as ever and happily started to chat his ear off. Tetsuro hummed a few times in response, commenting now and then on something his friend said, while Bokuto talked about the most random things. Against Tetsuro’s expectations Kenma didn’t climb off his lap to continue his game, but instead settled with licking and nibbling his neck, so Tetsuro only heard half of the things Bokuto said to him. He let his head fall back with a silent groan and closed his eyes blissfully.

Kenma’s eyes wandered under his shirt and pushed it up a little, caressing his abs before sliding higher.  At the same time his mouth went higher to the free earlobe and sucked it between his teeth. “Kuro, you’re taking too long,” he complained quietly.

Tetsuro shivered at the feeling of hot breath against his ear and his hand tightened around the teenager’s hip. “Bokuto, did you actually want something?” the raven asked, effectively interrupting his friend mid-sentence.

“Eh? Uh, well…” Bokuto needed a moment to catch his thoughts. “Yeah, actually I wanted to ask something. Is Kenma with you?”

“Of course he is,” Tetsuro answered, after he got over his surprise.

“Can I talk to him for a second?”

“Eh … sure.” He took the phone from his ear and held it towards Kenma. “Bokuto wants to talk to you,” he explained as the teenager gave him a confused look.

Only slowly Kenma took the phone, still extremely confused, and answered with a, “Hello?”

Tetsuro watched Kenma, while he talked with Bokuto, not really understanding what the conversation was about. He only heard Kenma say, “Really?”, “No, I didn’t,” and, “Sure, we can do that.”

They only talked for a few minutes – it was really mostly Bokuto talking and Kenma making affirmative noises – before Kenma said goodbye.

“What were you talking about?” Tetsuro asked, while pocketing his phone again.

“Nothing,” Kenma quickly answered and leant forward to initiate a kiss.

The raven laughed a little, but returned the kiss nonetheless. “If you’re trying to distract me, it’s not working.”

With a small pout, the teenager drew back. “I can stop, if you want.”

“I didn’t say that,” Tetsuro practically purred and pulled him back.

-

“You know that I’m not actually stupid, don’t you?” 

Kenma looked at his boyfriend in the bus seat next to him. “It wasn’t my idea,” he defended himself, not even trying to pretend that he didn’t know what Kuro was talking about.

It was Friday afternoon and Kenma and Kuro were on their way to the edge of the city. Kenma knew exactly where they were going and what they wanted to do there, and since it was Kuro’s birthday, the raven probably had an idea as well.

“Bokuto?” Kuro asked him and the teenager nodded in response. “So we’re going to meet him? And probably Akaashi?”

“Be patient,” Kenma chided gently. “You’ll see, when we’re there.”

“Hm.” But Kuro didn’t say more and just looked out of the window again. His hand found Kenma’s, lightly caressing the skin on the back with his finger tips and drawing small circles into it. Normally the blonde was extremely wary of touching in public, but since they were practically alone in the bus and no one could possibly see them, he didn’t complain. In fact he melted a little at the small, loving gesture, a by now familiar warmth flooding his chest.

They spent the next few minutes in silence, until their destination showed up on the screen. “We’re here,” Kenma announced and stood up, approaching the door to get off.

The gymnasium, which Bokuto had mentioned on the phone the other day, could already be seen from the bus stop. Kuro’s friend had wanted to talk to Kenma to tell him about his and his other friends’ plan for the raven’s birthday. Kenma had been asked to bring his bodyguard to that exact gymnasium, where they would meet up with the others.

Outside Kuro pulled the hood of his sweater over his head to shield himself against the drizzle, and Kenma mirrored his movement.

“So?” Kuro looked expectantly at Kenma.

The teenager pointed to the sports hall. “Bokuto-san said that they’d wait inside for us.”

Kuro’s face lit up with excitement as his eyes shifted to the gymnasium and his mouth stretched into a grin. It really wasn’t hard to guess what Bokuto was thinking, and the raven seemed to like the idea.

They quickly walked over to the building and slipped through the door. Kenma took his hood off with a sigh, happy that he finally was out of the wet and cold weather, but sadly he had no opportunity to relax. An overly happy grey-haired man ran towards them and pulled Kuro into a crushing hug.

“Happy Birthday, Kuroo,” Bokuto cheered with a huge grin.

The raven seemed shocked for a short moment, but soon returned the hug with a grin of his own. “Thanks, bro!”

“Hello, Kenma-san.” Akaashi had stepped to them and nodded towards Kenma, while he seemingly waited for the other two men to finish their greetings.

Kenma greeted back, eyeing the other men behind Akaashi warily.

It took quite some time before they had all greeted and congratulated Kuro, and the raven immediately started to introduce them to Kenma. Apart from Bokuto and Akaashi Kuro’s other colleagues had come as well, Iwaizumi and Sawamura, joined by their respective partners Oikawa and Sugawara.

“How the hell did you manage to convince Kiyoko to give you all a day off?” Kuro asked, while they were headed for one of the halls.

“It actually wasn’t that hard, since none of us has a long term contract at the moment,” Sawamura answered. “We just told her to see it as a bonding event for colleagues. She even said that she’ll come by later.”

“So you’re actually the only one working right now,” Iwaizumi added with a grin.

Kuro just responded with a smirk. “As I always tell you, I’m simply more popular than you guys.”

Multiple snorts rang through the hall.

“How about you leave your bantering for now, and we just play some volleyball?” Sugawara interjected before they could throw more insults at each other. The group quickly agreed to that and proceeded to walk towards the already prepared field inside one of the halls.

Kenma had to admit that it felt a little strange to be here with all the other men. He had been nervous from the moment he had realized that he would meet Kuro’s friends, even if they didn’t know about their relationship. Now seeing Kuro talk and joke with his friends reminded Kenma of how much younger he was, and he felt his stomach twist uncomfortably.

He hated it.

Hated the ugly feelings bubbling up in him, the uncertainty, the feeling as if he didn’t fit to Kuro, didn’t belong to his side. He especially hated that he had to feel that way _now_ , when Kuro was simply happy to see all his friends again. The realization about how different their lives were, hit him harder than he had thought and now he understood what Kuro had meant, when he had rejected him the first time because of his age.

“You’ll play with us, won’t you?” Kuro asked, looking at Kenma with a smile.

A little confused, because he had been so abruptly pulled from his thoughts, Kenma blinked at him. “Ah… no, I really don’t have to. I don’t think I could even keep up with you.”

Kuro looked a little disappointed. “Oh, come on. You’re fitter than before, you’ll probably have no problem wiping the floor with our old asses.”

“Hey! Just because you’re getting old doesn’t mean you can drag us in, too,” Oikawa whined.

“You have no right to complain, you’re the oldest of us,” Iwaizumi deadpanned, only causing Oikawa to complain even more.

Kuro just ignored them and continued to look Kenma in the eyes. “Please?” he asked and tilted his head.

_ Fuck _ , that shouldn’t look cute, not when a 28-year old man did it, but Kenma’s heart decided to race nonetheless and the blood shot into his cheeks. He really couldn’t do anything else than nod. “Ok,” he said and was thankful for his normal, emotionless voice.

The raven beamed at him, obviously happy about that answer.

And just like that every unwelcome thought Kenma ever had was blown away. There was absolutely no need to be uncertain, he realized as he saw the fond expression in Kuro’s eyes. Once more the teenager was surprised how easily his boyfriend managed to make him feel loved and valued. And once more he was thankful to be able to call him his boyfriend, even if he couldn’t do that out loud. Not yet.

“The only problem we have now: We have four former setters,” the raven explained to his friends. “How are we going to do this?”

“Four?” Sugawara repeated. Then he turned to Kenma. “You were also a setter?”

The teenager nodded. “But only during middle school.”

“He’s way better than any of you,” Kuro added with a proud grin, as if it was thanks to him.

Kenma frowned and wanted to dismiss that statement, but Oikawa was faster than him. “We’ll see, whether anyone is better than me or not,” the brunette taunted with a sly smile.

“We could play three against three,” Iwaizumi suggested. “Or four against four, then no one has to sit out.”

“Let’s start with four against four and if someone wants to take a break afterwards, we can still reduce the amount of players,” Sawamura said and everyone agreed with that idea, quickly starting to warm up a little.

It was strange to play volleyball again after all this time – Kenma guessed that it probably was worse for the other men – and it took a little bit until they were all in the game again. In the first round Kuro and Bokuto had decided that they _had_ to form a team, so of course Kenma and Akaashi joined them, Kenma acting as the team’s setter.

It was a close match, but in the end the others had won and Oikawa made sure to rub it into their faces. Kuro immediately demanded a rematch, but Kenma asked to skip a round and Akaashi joined him on the sideline. So Kuro formed a team with Sugawara and Iwaizumi, determined to win against Oikawa, Bokuto and Sawamura.

“I didn’t think I was this out of shape,” Akaashi huffed and sat down on the bench, directly next to Kenma, offering him a water bottle. Kenma took it with a thankful nod.

They watched the game in silence, sometimes having to act as referees, when the teams started to argue about something. To Kenma it was strangely relaxing to watch the game and he was simply content seeing Kuro having this much fun – even though he was losing against Oikawa’s team again.

“So you and Kuroo-san are together now?” Akaashi broke their silence.

Kenma looked at him with large eyes. Were they really _that_ obvious?

The raven smiled at him. “I may not know Kuroo-san as long as the others, but I can see that he looks differently at you than before. And in all the years that I’ve known him, he has never showed such an expression.”

“We’re actually trying to hide it,” Kenma admitted quietly, not wanting anyone else to notice what they were talking about. But they probably didn’t hear them anyway.

“Yeah, I can see why you’d want to do that.”

The blonde eyed the older man next to him and frowned a little, when he saw the gentle smile. “Don’t you think it’s strange?” he asked, a little irritated. “I’m ten years younger than him after all.”

Akaashi hummed thoughtfully. “I understand why you’d ask that. But I think that age really doesn’t matter if you have someone you love and no one is being forced or deceived. And I know that Kuroo-san would never do something like that. Besides, I’m not really one to judge, I’m only 21 myself. I was also 18 when I met Bokuto-san for the first time.”

“You’re that young?” Kenma asked, surprised.

“Why, do I seem that old?” Akaashi replied, laughing.

Quickly Kenma shook his head. “No, I didn’t mean it like that, but rather you seem rather mature.” Unlike Bokuto, but he didn’t say that out loud.

“It’s not that hard with a boyfriend like Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said with a grin and Kenma somehow felt like he had been caught. “But I really think, you shouldn’t care so much about what others will think. Society will always try to judge you and your relationship. If it’s not about the age difference, then it’s about your sexuality, and if it’s not about that they’ll find something else. People like to judge others and call them ‘weird’ so that they don’t have to take a closer look at their own life and can feel ‘normal’. But as long as both of you are happy, I see absolutely no problem.”

Kenma was quiet for a few moments, thinking about everything the other man had said, before a small smile showed on his face. “Thank you,” he said genuinely. That was a very nice way to think about it and Kenma wanted to see it that way too.

“No problem,” Akaashi answered with a smile of his own. “But I still have to warn you, Bokuto-san and the others won’t care about your age, if you ever should hurt Kuroo-san. Me neither, by the way.”

“I don’t think I could ever do that,” Kenma answered with a little frown. He wasn’t sure if he meant that he didn’t have that kind of power over Kuro or that he rather would hurt himself before doing it, but Akaashi seemed to understand.

“Kenmaaaaa.” Kuro walked towards their bench, whining. The match seemed to be over and he indeed had lost again. “Come help me, we have to kick the Princess’ ass.”

Oikawa complained in the background, but nobody paid much attention to him.

Kenma snorted. “Don’t you think you need a break, old man?” he teased with a fond smile.

“No way, not before I’ve dethroned him!”

Kenma laughed a little, but stood up to join Kuro in his mission to win against Oikawa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you liked the little fluff. You all probably know that it won't always stay like this ... haha ... ha ...
> 
> Next time I'll show a little more of Kuro's and Kenma's interaction with the other guys. And btw, I know that it's impossible for both of them to have birthday on a saturday, but this is a fanfiction and I don't care °3°
> 
> Please tell me what you thought of this :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terribly sorry for not posting last week, but I was feeling pretty shitty and couldn't write anything I was even remotely satisfied with, so meh ... I just really didn't want to give you a chapter I didn't even like myself.  
> Tbh, I'm still not completely happy with how this turned out, but it's readable, and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging again.
> 
> This chapter I'll explain Kuroo's past a little. It's not much, but well... I still kinda like it, though.
> 
> As always many thanks to my dear friend Velexica and my adorable, litte sister [Yumia](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Yumia/pseuds/Yumia)! What would I do without you? ;o;

Kenma didn’t know how exactly he had ended up at a bar despite his age. Or rather, he didn’t know exactly why he had let Kuro’s friends persuade him into joining them. But that was actually also a lie.

Bokuto had asked him if he would accompany the group to the bar, since Kuro couldn’t go without him. Normally he would have refused – a bar really wasn’t a place he liked to go, even without considering that he wasn’t even _allowed_ to –, but his eyes had immediately searched for the raven, who was standing with Sawamura and Sugawara and laughing about something. His boyfriend probably wouldn’t be angry, if he really didn’t want to, but Kenma was certain that he really liked to stay with his friends on this evening. In the end he had agreed just because he wanted to see the raven happy for a little longer.

And that was exactly why he was squished between Kuro and Akaashi, with all the others also sitting on the same table. Apparently the bar they were in belonged to one of Sawamura’s friends, and they managed to convince the intimidating giant to let Kenma in. Of course he wouldn’t get any alcohol, even if he wanted some.

They had been simply talking for roughly an hour, and had been joined by some more of Kuro’s friends of which Kenma hadn’t even bothered to remember the names – he was glad that he at least recognized Yaku. Together with the few guys he knew from before he considered it enough new acquaintances for one day.

“When was the last time you played pool, Kuroo?” Bokuto asked after the current conversation died down a little. “I bet I can kick your ass without a problem.”

Kuro snorted in response. “You wish. You remember that you haven’t won against me even once?”

“ _Both of you_ should know that you don’t even stand a chance against Iwa-chan,” Oikawa meddled with a smug grin on his face.

Iwaizumi eyed his boyfriend with cocked eyebrows. “What are you bragging about, Shittykawa?”

They started to bicker with each other whereby they were ignored by everyone else. It slightly reminded Kenma of Kageyama and Shouyou.

“Let’s go play a few rounds,” Bokuto started again and chugged his beer down, while standing up.

Kuro wanted to follow him, before he stopped and shot Kenma a side-glance. The teenager looked back with confusion. He definitely didn’t want to play, but that was probably not what Kuro was thinking about. Then something clicked inside Kenma’s head. “It’s ok, just go,” he said calmly and showed a small smile. “I’ll manage alone.”

The raven’s frown only deepened. “You sure? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” He kept his voice low so that not everyone heard him immediately.

Sawamura seemed to hear him nonetheless and snorted. “Don’t worry, we’ll look out for him. He’s safe with us.”

For a moment Kuro just looked at his friend wordlessly, before his gaze shifted to Kenma again. Then he sighed. “I know that,” he said, laying his hand on top of Kenma’s head and gently ruffled his hair. Then he stood up to follow after Bokuto.

Most of the other guys also stood up to follow behind them, either to join the game, to just watch or to play something else. As Sawamura had promised he stayed behind, together with Sugawara, Akaashi and Yaku.

Sugawara started a conversation with Akaashi, while the rest contented themselves with relaxing into the bench, sipping on their drinks and listening to them. Kenma’s eyes automatically wandered over to Kuro, casually watching him bantering with his friends by the pool table. It was a really unfortunate coincidence that Kuro was leaning over the pool table with his face towards Kenma. He would much rather see the raven leaning over from behind, so that he-

Kenma jolted himself out of his thoughts. Bad timing, really bad timing.

When he brought his attention back to the table he was sitting on, he noticed Sawamura watching him with a strange expression. Kenma reciprocated the look a little defiantly and thought about something to say – maybe something a little less cheeky than the comment he had on the tip of his tongue.

But then Yaku interrupted them, completely oblivious to the situation. “So Kenma-kun, how is your training with Kuroo-san going?”

The teenager’s gaze shifted to the small man, who sat at the other side of the table. “It’s going ok, I guess,” he answered after a few seconds of thinking. “It’s quite fun, actually. But I’m still not very good at it.”

“What kind of training are you doing?” Sugawara asked curiously, a polite smile on his lips. The others also looked expectantly at him.

A little reluctantly Kenma explained, “Kuro is teaching me self-defense. He said it’s to boost my self-confidence and so that I can stay calm in … unexpected situations.”

The men nodded, obviously understanding what he was referring to. At the looks he got from them, especially from Akaashi, who already had seen him panicking once, Kenma grew considerably uncomfortable. As much as he didn’t like attention, sympathy was even worse. So he desperately tried to search for a topic he could change the conversation to.

“Kuro said you were with him in high school, Yaku-san?” he tried.

The addressed man looked a bit surprised at the sudden change, but quickly answered with a nod. “Yeah, we’ve been in the same class through all three years. And we’ve also been in the volleyball team together, although we didn’t get along in the beginning at all.”

“How was he like when he was younger?” Besides being glad to direct the attention away from him, Kenma was genuinely curious to learn more about Kuro. He still was hesitant to ask the raven himself, due to the grim look he always got. But it probably wouldn’t hurt to get some information out of his friends.

Yaku seemed to think carefully, before he gave an answer. “He actually wasn’t that much different from today, I think. He had always been a loud and out-going person, who effortlessly got the attention from everyone around him. And also the affection in most cases. He was well liked for his easy personality by both guys and girls, although with the girls it was probably not only because of that.”

“Did he also flirt as much back then as he does today?” Sawamura interrupted with a small grin.

Yaku returned the grin with a little grimace. “Absolutely. It was nearly gross how smooth he could talk with woman.”

“I can totally understand that,” the raven said with a small laugh.

“But he was also a very good friend, quick to help if you needed him, hardworking and earnest. And he made stupid jokes half of the time.”

Kenma smiled at that. He was glad to hear that his lover had been exactly like Kenma had imagined him.

With a frown Yaku continued. “Something changed towards the end, though. He shut himself   out from nearly everyone except Bokuto-san, and always was in a bad mood. I roughly knew about the problems he had with his father, but for some reason it got way worse around that time. During my time in college we lost contact, so I don’t know for sure what happened, but from what I’ve heard he had a pretty bad time.”

Golden eyes immediately shot to Kuro again, who was just laughing about something Oikawa had done, and Kenma’s eyebrows drew together in a scowl. “Did he immediately start to work at your company, Sawamura-san?”

The raven shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t know. I just started to work there three years ago, and by then he already had been the cheerful guy he is now. So sorry, but I don’t know what happened.”

Kenma’s scowl deepened, while he tried to sort his thoughts, which were all over the place due to the emotions swelling up inside him. He didn’t want to ask Kuro, although the raven had told him that he would explain everything sometime. His other option was probably asking Bokuto, but he didn’t seem to be the type to talk about such important topics concerning his friend to someone, who was practical a stranger.

“He joined my company three years after he had finished school.” A female voice next to their table suddenly pulled Kenma out of his thoughts. When he looked up he saw a downright beautiful woman, probably in her forties, with black hair and delicate glasses sitting on her nose.

Sawamura stood up with a smile. “Shimizu-san, it’s great to see you.”

The woman smiled at him. “Good evening, Sawamura-san, it’s nice to see you, too.” Akaashi and Sugawara were also greeted, before Yaku introduced himself, which the woman returned with an introduction of her own. “I’m Shimizu Kiyoko, Kuroo’s boss. And you must be Kozume-kun, Kuroo’s current client.”

Kenma nodded, still too surprised to really answer. And a little overwhelmed with how gorgeous this woman was, her age only adding to the graceful aura she seemed to emit.

“Kuroo-san is over there by the pool table,” Sugawara said to her, while she sat down with them.

Shimizu nodded with a slight smile. “I know,” she answered. “I already greeted them before I came over here.”

A waiter approached them and she quickly ordered a drink for herself. By the time the young man was gone again, Kenma had overcome his surprise.

“So you know what happened to Kuro?” he asked directed at Shimizu.

She contemplated about it for a few seconds. “What has he told you so far?”

“Just about his parents, and that he was kicked out right after graduation. And he said that he owes you a lot.”

“That’s really like him,” Shimizu said with a chuckle. “Saying that he owes me, when it’s actually the other way around. Well, I guess he won’t mind if I tell you everything, since he seems rather fond of you.” She smiled at the other men. “Would you mind leaving us alone for a bit?”

“No, of course not,” Sugawara answered with a smile of his own, and the others stood up with him, going over to Kuro and the rest.

“Are you content with Kuroo as your bodyguard?”

Kenma cocked his eyebrows suspiciously, a little irritated at the unexpected topic. “Yeah, I am. Kuro is really good at what he’s doing and I always feel safe around him.”

“He does give you that kind of feeling,” Shimizu agreed with the gentle smile still in place. “Is he nice to you?”

“Well … yeah, we get along.” A huge understatement. “Although he likes to tease me sometimes.” An even bigger understatement.

Shimizu seemed to know that herself, since she started to laugh. “Teasing had always been one of Kuroo’s favorite activities.”

“So… You know what happened to Kuro after he graduated?” Kenma tried to guide the conversation to the original topic again.

“Not exactly,” Shimizu admitted, causing a frown to form on Kenma’s face. Ignoring that, she continued, “I know that his father was an asshole, who didn’t care for anything besides himself. I know that he was violent and abusive, and it was probably good that Kuroo left that house. Bokuto-san helped him a lot as far as I know, since he doesn’t have any other relatives. For a few years he just worked his ass off, trying to get as much money as possible. I guess that he really hated to be dependent on somebody. Or he didn’t like feeling like a bother. Anyway, Kuroo soon got acquainted with some shady people, people who told him that there was an easy way to get to his hands on some money. I don’t know why, but Kuroo thought that he could trust them, that he could stop relying on Bokuto-san, if he joined them.”

“Kuro joined the yakuza?” Kenma asked a little shocked, the frown still prominent on his face.

“No, thankfully they were not the yakuza,” Shimizu quickly dissolved his worries. “Just a small gang. Though they were still people with questionable motives. Kuroo stole. He never told me from where or how much, only that he always deeply regretted it. But he is a good guy, he always had been, always cares about others more than about himself.” She paused and took a sip from the drink, which had been brought in the meantime.

“One evening they were out drinking and the guys he was with thought it would be incredibly funny to assault a group of girls. As you probably suspect Kuroo didn’t like the idea at all,” Kenma had indeed suspected this and was a little proud at his boyfriend, when he heard the affirmation, “so he protected them. His ‘friends’ weren’t particularly happy about that and started to gang up against him. They beat him up pretty badly, but he managed to hold on long enough so that the girls could run away. To my shame I have to admit that I saw everything, but was unable to help, apart from calling the police and an ambulance. As soon as the police came the assholes fled, leaving the unconscious Kuroo behind. Thankfully he only had a few broken bones and a slight concussion.”

She made another pause, obviously shaken by the memory. Kenma only noticed then that his hands had tightened around his glass, anger boiling hot in his stomach.

“While he was in the hospital I visited him. I asked him if he wanted to work in my agency and after some persuasion – ok, no, after _a lot_ of persuasion – he agreed, so I took him in. Even though he was twenty he still looked like a small child to me, lost and with so much sadness inside his eyes. And he really was a brat.”

“Wait, I don’t understand,” Kenma interjected. “Why did you decide to take him in? Only because you saw him rescue some girls?”

Shimizu smiled again, and explained, “It weren’t just some girls, my little sister was among them. I was incredibly thankful for what he had done. And really impressed. He fought alone against five guys, most of them bulkier than him. So of course I thought that he was suitable to be a bodyguard. And to be honest I enjoyed living with someone.”

“You two lived together?”

“For roughly three years. I had been living alone before that so it was no problem taking him in. And since he had no place to live and no money, I managed to convince him pretty easily.”

Their conversation died and Kenma’s eyes automatically shifted to his lover again, his hand finding the pendant around his neck. Warmth spread throughout his chest. How did he get so lucky again?

“Would you mind if Kuro stopped working for you?” Kenma asked after a few moments and directly looked the woman into the eyes.

Shimizu seemed to be surprised, but quickly overcame her initial shock. “He’s one of my best bodyguards, so of course I wouldn’t be happy about it. But if it’s his wish to do something else I certainly won’t hold him back.”

Kenma nodded at that, thankful for her honest answer.

The group around the pool table dissolved, most of the men coming over to their table again. Only Kuro and Bokuto remained, seemingly wanting to play another round with just the two of them, and Akaashi standing next to the table to watch them.

“Thank you for telling me all this, Shimizu-san,” Kenma said with a small smile, before he stood up to go over to his lover.

\---

Tetsuro hadn’t known how much he had missed simply spending time with his friends. Of course he enjoyed the time with Kenma a lot, but being with Bokuto and the rest was completely different. He still felt a little bad to let the teenager sit without him at the table, while he was playing pool, but Akaashi was with him, and since they seemed to get along it probably was fine.

His gaze still shifted back to Kenma frequently to see if everyone was fine. That didn’t went by unnoticed and _of course_ his friends teased him mercilessly about it.

“Don’t be such a mother hen, the boy is _fine_ ,” Oikawa said and hit him with the cue against his head.  “Sawamura is with him, he’ll watch out for him.”

Tetsuro grumbled and rubbed the back of his head. “That’s not it,” he sighed. “I don’t want him to be uncomfortable, since he’s only here for my sake.” Since it was his turn he went over to the pool table. When he missed his third shot, he stood at the side again.

“You seem to care a lot for a simple teenage brat,” Iwaizumi commented, keeping his voice low.

Confused Tetsuro furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

His colleague next to him shifted a little against the bench he was leaning on, his eyes strained on his boyfriend, who was leaning down a little too far over the pool table to be unintentional. “Back then, when you told us about your new job for the first time, you sounded really annoyed and called it ‘babysitting’. But you seem to have changed your opinion.”

“Kenma is … different from what I’ve initially thought,” Tetsuro answered, scowling at the thought of calling Kenma a job – or even worse, calling him babysitting. “Sure, he can be a brat and sometimes it’s painfully obvious that he’s a teenager.” He especially remembered all the moments Kenma looked so vulnerable, the frown deepening on his face. “But he’s really different.”

Special. Unique and absolutely amazing.

Not that he could say any of that out loud. Even if they were his friends they were also still his colleagues.

Maybe he could tell them in a year or two.

When he realized what he had been thinking about, he groaned inwardly. He probably shouldn’t get this ahead of himself.

For a few moments Iwaizumi eyed him with a strange expression, before he shrugged. “If you say so, good for you, I guess.”

Tetsuro smiled to himself. Yeah, good for him.

They fell into casual conversation again, bantering while they took their turns on the pool table.

“Tetsuro,” a voice suddenly called out to him, grabbing his attention.

He turned around to see his boss, and longtime friend approaching them. An involuntary smile formed on his face. “Kiyoko. I’m glad that you managed to come.”

With a smile of her own she pulled him into a hug. “Of course I had to come. Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks,” he muttered into her hair, taking in the familiar smell, which always reminded him of home and safety.

They parted and Kiyoko went around to greet the rest of the men she knew, before she came back to him. “So, how is the job going?”

Tetsuro sighed and shook his head. “There’s still not a single clue about the perpetrator, apart from knowing that he had been way too close at times.” He of course had told her about what had happened at Akaashi’s café, so she was actually pretty well informed. With a shrug he continued, “But Kenma is doing quite well, considering the situation. And I think that the guy will get impatient soon. Before, he got in touch in one way or another quite regularly, and the last time has been some time ago.”

“And you’re sure it’s something personal?”

“Definitely,” he answered with a nod. “The words he’s been using and the way he’s been talking with Kenma made it pretty obvious.”

With a sigh Kiyoko pushed a black hair strand behind her ear. “So we can’t do anything but wait for now.”

Tetsuro nodded. “I won’t let anything happen to Kenma.”

“Of course you won’t,” she laughed slightly. “That’s your job after all. I’m going to sit down a little, let’s continue talking later.” With that she walked over to where Kenma and the rest were sitting.

Tetsuro followed her with his eyes for a moment, before Bokuto was pulling him out of his thoughts and nudged him towards the pool table.

\---

It was already very late when they were on their way home. Thankfully it didn’t rain anymore, though it was still pretty cold. Tetsuro and Kenma had been mostly silent while walking, just enjoying the calmness of the night.

“Thanks for today,” Tetsuro said into the silence, after some time.

Kenma looked up to him, a little surprised. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You were there, that’s enough.”

Due to the cold air Kenma’s cheeks were already pink all over, but Tetsuro could have sworn that they got even redder. His smile widened. “So … yeah. Thanks. And sorry that we have to walk now.” It was too late for public transportation, so they had to walk all the way to Kenma’s home.

“No problem,” Kenma answered, even though his face scrunched up. “It’s not that far after all. And it was fun, I guess. Your friends are … nice.”

Tetsuro could only laugh at his hesitation. “I know that they’re strange, you can just say that.”

“Well, yes they are,” the teenager admitted with a smile. “But they are still nice. And you guys match.”

Tetsuro snorted. “Hey, did you just imply that I’m strange?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Brat,” the raven huffed, affection ringing in his voice, and gently nudged his shoulder.

Kenma shoved slightly back, a small smile on his lips. When he stopped walking, Tetsuro also stopped and turned around to him with a quizzical look. Instead of explaining Kenma stepped towards him and tugged with one hand on his collar, and when Tetsuro leant down like he wanted, he pulled his lover into a kiss.

“I’m happy you had fun today,” Kenma murmured, with his eyes shyly casted down.

Tetsuro’s heart immediately started to race, warmth spreading throughout his body despite the cold wind tugging on his clothes. He hugged Kenma tightly, letting out a loud groan. “Stop being this cute in public or I might jump you right now.”

“Let’s go home quickly then,” Kenma said, pulling a laughing Tetsuro behind him.

\---

It was surprisingly relaxing to feel Kuro’s hand caressing his hair, even though it was such a simple gesture. And it only distracted Kenma a little from the school stuff he was trying to learn at the moment.

Kenma had his head laying in his lover’s lap, who was currently reading a book he had gotten from Shimizu for his birthday. Actually there were a lot of things the teenager would rather do instead of learning, but there were several tests coming up in the few weeks before his winter holidays, and some of his teachers were actual sadists – especially now that he was in his last high school year.

He still didn’t know what he wanted to do after his graduation, and he hadn’t talked with his father yet. To be honest he just didn’t have the guts to do so, even if Kuro had offered to accompany him. Because even if he knew that he didn’t want to inherit his father’s company, he didn’t know what he wanted to do instead.

Besides, he didn’t even know why his father was so insistent on him joining the company, if he only was constantly disappointed by him. Kenma could even understand him to some extent. He wasn’t really cooperative after all, despite being his only child, and on top of that finding out about your sons sexuality in such a way wasn’t probably the most pleasant thing either.

Not that Kenma would ever try to defend his father for the way he treated him, he had too much self-respect to do that.

Kenma’s eyes wandered upwards, searching for caramel orbs, which were fixated on the page in front of them. Like so often an involuntary smile sneaked onto his face. Again he noticed how incredibly lucky he was to have such a handsome boyfriend, who was just unfairly attractive.

“What’s wrong?” Kuro asked in his deep voice, having noticed Kenma’s staring.

“I think you’d look good with glasses,” the teenager answered with a slight smirk.

The raven let out an amused, “Oh?” “Do you mean those glasses with thick rims, like hipsters are wearing?”

Kenma hummed thinking about the possibility, and he had to admit that he liked his mental picture. “You would be a good hipster,” he answered earning a low laugh. “But I actually meant thin ones, like a cliché teacher.” With a grin he added. “A sexy cliché teacher.”

The raven blinked in surprise. “Kenma, what’s wrong with you? Since when are you giving me compliments?”

“I can stop, if you want,” Kenma said with a small pout forming on his face.

That earned him another laugh. “No, no, I like it. Continue as much as you want.”

The hand on his head brushed the bangs out of his face and continued to pet him so good that Kenma would purr if he could. “No, it’s ok,” he replied with eyes closed blissfully.  “I’m finished for now.” Although there were tons of other things Kenma could still say. He had fallen so hard, he could probably go on for hours with showering his lover with compliments. Not that the raven needed that, given his already huge ego.

Kuro drew his lower lip up in a pout. “Party pooper,” he silently complained, but leant down to kiss him nonetheless.

The knock on his door startled them both. After exchanging a surprised look, Kenma lifted his head to allow Kuro to stand up. It was probably pretty stupid, but the raven insisted on being the one who opened the doors. So his lover approached the door Kenma had locked out of habit and opened it.

“Good afternoon, Kozume-san,” he greeted Kenma’s father surprisedly and took a step back to let the man in.

Kenma’s father eyed Kuro for a short moment, before he nodded. “I’d like to speak alone with my son, Kuroo-san.”

The raven turned around to the teenager, who was just as confused as him. “Of course,” he answered with a nod of his own. “I’ll be in the guest room then.”

Even after Kuro was gone Kenma’s father was silent for a few moments. Then he went towards the couch where his son was still sitting, throwing a white envelope on the table. “Explain.”

Kenma scowled, eyeing the envelope suspiciously. He hadn’t gotten a letter since the one in his shoe locker, but the memory still made his hand shake a little, when he reached out for the envelope. “What is this?”

“It got delivered to my workplace today,” his father explained sternly, arms crossed in front of his chest. “Don’t worry, there’s no letter inside.”

Which of course only confused the teenager more. But he still managed to convince his hands to open the envelope, and there indeed was no letter inside. Instead several pictures fell into Kenma’s hands.

Pictures that actually shouldn’t exist.

Pictures of him and Kuro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I guess? ^^'
> 
> Yes, Asahi owns the bar, and yes, I love the idea of him as a bartender/owner :)
> 
> As always please tell me what you thought of this. Your comments mean a lot to me and keep me alive and motivated :3  
> If you ever want to scream at me what a terrible person I am, or talk about your KuroKen obsession, you can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SaendyH)  
> You guys are awesome, thanks so much :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my beautiful readers~  
> First of all, this story has passed 50k words with the previous chapter! 50k words! That's a lot more than I anticipated ^^'  
> Thank you for all your continious support and over 7k hits x3  
> In other news, this is quickly approaching the end. After this chapter will be one more and an epilogue. And that's it... But let's talk about this next week ^^'
> 
> As always a lot of thanks to my sister [Yumia](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Yumia) and my friend Velexica for beta-reading :3
> 
> I seriously hope you can enjoy this chapter~

“Are you ok?”

“Ah, well … I’ll manage, probably. Not that I have a choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

A small snort. “You know that that’s not true. Not as long as my father tries to dictate my whole life.”

“Kenma…”

“No, no, it’s ok. It could be worse, I guess. I’ll get along with him. I’d … I’d just be happier if it was you.”

“I know, Kenma, I-” A sigh. “Maybe it’s better that way. Ushiwaka is a really capable bodyguard, he’ll protect you.”

It was silent for a few moments. “I’m not worried about that. Not really, at least. I- I just miss you.”

At the other end of the line Tetsuro’s heart started to pound vigorously in his chest, simultaneously clenching in pain. God, what would he do to hold Kenma in his arms right now. “Me too, Kenma,” the raven said, his voice heavy with emotions. “It will be over soon.”

“I hope so,” Kenma sighed. “It won’t take long until I’ll graduate. I mean… then we can… you know…”

“Yeah, I know.”

\---

Ushijima Wakatoshi was a silent and extremely serious man, always keeping a stern face void of emotions, and Kenma seriously didn’t know if he should be happy about that or not. Of course it was positive that his new bodyguard didn’t do anything to annoy him at all, but somehow Kenma was irritated nonetheless.

Maybe it was the heavy presence always looming behind him, or the judging look inside the man’s eyes. Or the fact that Kenma was constantly reminded that _he was not Kuro!_

Someone – very likely the same man who had written the threatening letters – had managed to take pictures of Kenma and Kuro, and had sent them to Kenma’s father. Although it was dark on the pictures, due to them being taken during the night, it was clearly visible that they were kissing, followed by shots of them holding hands.

Without a second of hesitation Kenma’s father had fired Kuro and had prohibited his son to ever see him again. The raven had left as soon as another bodyguard had taken his place. At first Kenma had been incredibly angry that his lover hadn’t even said anything to defend himself, that he hadn’t even been trying to stay with him, but when they had said their goodbyes and Kenma had seen the expression in his caramel orbs, he had understood.

If Kuro had tried to argue with his father, it would have meant denying their relationship.

“Your safety is the most important thing now,” Kuro had told him, right before he had to leave.  “I allowed him to get so close to you. Because I was distracted, he-” He obviously had had troubles staying calm, and let one of his hands ran through his hair with a deep sigh. “I’m sorry, Kenma.”

Of course Kenma had argued that there was nothing the raven had to apologize for, but his father got impatient and cut their conversation off, throwing Kuro out of his house. Without another word he had left.

Kenma’s blood still boiled with anger at this memory, and it had been hard to hold himself back and not tell his father what exactly he was thinking about him. _Only a few months_ , he had told himself, and was doing so nearly every day since then. _Only a few months, before I can finally leave this place._

Despite the prospect of finally getting out of this house and being together with Kuro again, the days without his lover were terribly agonizing. On top of missing Kuro, his fears came back with full force – he was terrified of the thought that he still was being watched this closely, without having a single clue who the perpetrator was. Without Kuro there to calm him down solely with his presence, Kenma was a nervous wreck.

And that didn’t go by unnoticed by his friends.

Certainly, it was hard _not_ to notice that Kuro didn’t accompany him to school anymore and had been replaced by another man. And everyone, even those who didn’t know about their relationship seemed to see how hard this was for Kenma.

The first day Ushijima was with him at school, Kenma’s friends started to ask questions during lunch.

“Why isn’t Kuroo-san with you today?” Noya asked him, while the other’s eyed him expectantly waiting for the answer.

Although Kenma had been prepared for that, a sharp pain shot through his heart. “He doesn’t work for me anymore,” he replied with his gaze focused on his plate.

Lev’s face lit up. “Does that mean you don’t need protection anymore, Kenma-san?”

“No, there is someone else looking out for me. Do you see the man standing there leaning against the wall?” He pointed to his new bodyguard, who stayed close to their table, but didn’t sit with them. ‘To better observe the whole canteen’ he had explained to Kenma. Right now he was watching Kenma with an intense stare. “That’s my new bodyguard.”

“What happened to Kuroo-san?”

Kenma lifted his gaze again to look Shouyou into the eyes. Understanding flashed over the ginger’s face, followed by pure sympathy.

“Nothing happened,” Kenma answered Lev’s question, his eyes gazing down again. “My father just thought that another bodyguard would be better for me.”

“That’s a shame,” Noya commented, while continuing to shovel the pasta into his mouth. “I kinda liked Kuroo-san.”

Kenma had to suppress a deep sigh. “Yeah, a shame.”

\---

Time only made it worse.

When Kenma had thought that he had been miserable on the first few days, he didn’t know how to call it after a whole month. In his whole life he hadn’t thought that he could miss something – or someone on top of that – so much that it physically hurt him.

But it did.

His chest was hurting more often than not, clenching every time he thought of ravenous hair or caramel-colored eyes. And that was practically all the time.

After the first week he stopped coming out of his room apart from going to school, refusing to join his parents during dinner. His father had tried to force him at first, but Kenma’s patience had snapped and he had shouted all his anger and frustration at him. This had shocked his father, who had never before heard a word of defiance from his son, so much that he immediately stopped bothering him.

After the second week his panic attacks started again. Kenma had had a particularly bad nightmare, when he woke up with pure fear dominating his mind, his lungs unable to fill themselves with air. His first impulse had been to call Kuro, but even in his panicked state he knew that this was a bad idea. He could only imagine how worried his lover would be if Kenma called him at three in the night, how much he’d reproach himself, and he really didn’t want to add to the raven’s problems – he had enough as it was. So he had settled for calling Shouyou instead. His friend had extremely helped him to calm down and continued to do so regularly after that night.

After the third week he stopped playing video games. Stopped doing anything, actually. While he was laying on his bed his thoughts constantly roamed about the fact that there was someone, who tried to … do something to him. Kenma wasn’t even sure anymore what exactly he wanted to do to him. ‘Make him scream’ as the man had worded it multiple times. Kenma tried not to think about what exactly he meant by that.

And when he was not swallowed by his own fears his mind circled about everything he loved about Kuro, everything he missed. Of course it was the way the raven touched him, tender and gentle at times, passionately and spark inducing at others. It was the way his large hand rested on his head, lovingly brushing through his hair, or gripping his hip to pull him closer forcefully.

How his face was so breathtakingly beautiful, when he was sleeping or reading his book with a relaxed expression.

How his confident smirk let Kenma’s heart skip several beats.

How his scent was so comforting and reminded him of home, more than anything ever had before.

How his low, smooth voice sent shivers down Kenma’s spine and made him melt, every time he heard his name.

It was the very essence that made him Kuro, his very core.

Of course they talked with each other over the phone nearly every day, talking about nothing but their daily lives. Kenma tried not to whine so much and just enjoy the small conversations they had, the bantering they exchanged jokingly, as well as the love confessions, which became more frequent over the times. It made things better and worse at the same time. Better, because he could at least hear Kuro’s voice and still feel like he was part of his life. Worse, because the need to touch his boyfriend and be held by him grew every time Kuro told him that he was missing him too.

After the third week Kenma was only laying on his bed, contemplating every day if he was really able to go to school on the following morning. But Kuro would be angry at him if he neglected his studies, so he didn’t. Kenma knew that it was pathetic to do nothing but study and pine the whole day, but he didn’t know how he should do anything else. He didn’t care.

After the fourth week Shouyou’s patience snapped.

Kenma had told his best friend everything that had happened and they were also calling each other regularly even without his panic attacks. The ginger was the only one who knew how terrible Kenma was feeling, knew what he really went through.

“You can’t go on like this, Kenma,” Shouyou sternly said one evening. “This is destroying you.”

Kenma made an irritated grimace. “I can’t really change the situation.”

“You just have to see him and then you’ll probably be fine for a while.” 

“If you haven’t noticed there’s a huge guy following my every step, who has been ordered to keep me as far away from Kuro as possible.”

“I know, I’m not that stupid,” Shouyou whined. “You’ll sneak out of school to meet up with Kuroo-san at a café or something. Leave your bodyguard to me, I’ll distract him somehow, if necessary with the help of everyone else.”

“Somehow,” Kenma repeated, skepticism clear in his voice.

“Yes, somehow. Trust me, I’ll think of something.”

Even though Kenma still wasn’t convinced, the sole thought of seeing his lover again made his heart speed up with pleasant anticipation. So he replied, “Ok, I’ll trust you. Let’s do that.”

\---

Actually Kenma didn’t like Shouyou’s ‘somehow’ plan at all, even after his friend had explained everything to him. And he had no problem telling him that.

“I don’t think it’ll work, Ushijima is not stupid,” Kenma murmured during their next lunch break.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with him being stupid. But he has no reason to doubt you, so why should it go wrong?” Shouyou countered, a little grumpy that he was doubted.

The blonde sighed. “I don’t know, won’t he get suspicious?”

“You should give it a try,” Lev interjected. Shouyou had informed the half-Russian about everything, probably to get him on his side and help him convince Kenma.

“Yeah, I think so, too.  The worst that could happen is that he brings you back. I doubt that your dad can punish you anymore,” Noya added with a nod. He had been informed, too. Actually Shouyou had told everyone on their table, despite Kenma not being happy about it. At least the ginger had left out the true nature of his and Kuro’s relationship.

Kenma’s frown only deepened, while he contemplated about Shouyou’s plan again. Maybe his friends were right, there was no reason for it not to work. But still, there was something he didn’t like about all that, he just couldn’t figure out what. But the prospect of being able to see Kuro again pushed his worries away far enough to be finally convinced. .

Another deep sigh left his lungs. “Okay, let’s try this.”

Shouyou’s face lit up – Kenma didn’t understand why _he_ was happy about that – and he started to get up from his chair.

“Now?” Kenma asked, while he followed his friend with his eyes.

“Of course, now. When else did you plan on doing this?”

For that Kenma didn’t have a response. So he stood up and followed his friend to the wall where his bodyguard was standing.

Ushijima looked down to them, as they approached him, an eyebrow arching up. “What is it?” he asked, voice as always devoid of any emotions.

“I don’t feel well,” Kenma answered, putting on his best poker face – which wasn’t really unusual for him.

“Do you want to go home?”

Thankfully Kenma had expected this answer. “No, I have an important test during my last period.”

“Kenma will probably be fine, if he just sleeps in the infirmary for a little,” Shouyou interjected. If Kenma was being honest, he was surprised about how trustworthy his friend sounded.

The tall bodyguard didn’t doubt their words for a second, as he nodded and pushed himself away from the wall. “Let’s go, then.”

“I’ll accompany you, to make sure everything’s ok,” Shouyou said chirpily, while they gathered their things.

Kenma said goodbye to his friends, who all eyed him a little strangely when he left. At least they didn’t say anything.

Their walk to the infirmary was silent, as it always was with Ushijima, and this was probably the first time that it bothered Kenma. His whole body was trembling with nervous energy, and he was seriously concerned that his bodyguard might notice this.

“I’ll quickly take a look inside,” the tall male informed them, as soon as they reached their destination.

Kenma rolled his eyes at how overly cautious the man was, but didn’t comment. Patiently he and Shouyou waited for Ushijima to come out again. When he did that, he noted that there was no nurse present.

“Yeah, she is often away during the afternoon,” Shouyou said with a nod. “But it doesn’t matter, since Kenma only needs to sleep.”

They looked at each other silently for a few seconds, while Kenma was completely unable to read the bodyguard, before the man nodded. “Ok, go. Keep the curtains closed, I’ll stay outside.”

Kenma nearly sighed out of relief. He passed Ushijima, Shouyou directly on his heels and entered the infirmary. Of course he didn’t go over to the bed, but approached the windows instead. Thankfully the infirmary of their school was on the main floor.

“You should first text Kuroo-san,” Shouyou told him, his voice lowered, so they wouldn’t be heard outside.

“I know that,” Kenma answered with an unamused huff, while he fished his phone out of his pocket and started to type a new message. Now that he was so close to _really_ see Kuro he was all jittery and giddy with anticipation.

“So I’ll stay inside here a little, before I’ll tell Ushijima that you’re asleep. And that he should wake you up only for the last lesson,” Shouyou recapped, what he already had explained Kenma before.

“Yeah, ok.” The blonde started to open one of the windows, before his hands stopped and he turned to his friend again. “Thanks, Shouyou.”

The ginger answered with a bright grin. “Don’t mind it. I just want you to be happy again.”

A small smile spread on Kenma’s face, and he climbed out of the window, into the cold.

\---

Calming his bouncing legs, drying his sweaty palms on his pants, stopping his the thrumming of his fingers on the table, letting his eyes roam over all present people, shifting his gaze down again, repeat.

For roughly fifteen minutes Kenma was sitting in the small café, which was near his school, waiting for his boyfriend to show up. He should probably look at his phone to see if Kuro had answered him, but he couldn’t, was even afraid to do so. What would he do if Kuro didn’t have time? Or worse, if he didn’t want to see him?

Certainly, the last possibility wasn’t really likely, and he actually wasn’t really afraid of that.

But what if Kuro would be angry at him?

Kenma had run away from his bodyguard and Kuro had said again and again that his safety was the most important thing – something he himself had completely ignored. _But he only wanted to see Kuro again!_ Even if only for an hour or so.

So he waited more or less patiently, while his gaze shifted down to his cup of coffee, which probably was cold by now. He took a sip and pulled a grimace. Yep, cold and gross.

Actually he didn’t even know what he wanted to do, when Kuro came, he didn’t even know what to say. He’d probably tell him again how much he missed him. He would hug him. Maybe even kiss him, although his cheeks inflamed by the mere thought of it. But since the café was pretty much empty, maybe they could really kiss without anyone noticing.

That was actually one of the reasons he had chosen the café. Apart from it being within walking distance from his school, it was fairly deserted most of the time. So the chances of someone seeing them were considerably low.

When someone slid on the bench across from Kenma, he was pulled from his thoughts and looked up hopefully – only to be disappointed. He frowned. “What the hell are you doing here, Daisho?”

The man in front of him, whom he hadn’t seen since their breakup, smiled in a somehow really unsettling way. “Is that how you greet your ex-boyfriend, Kenma?”

Kenma’s frown deepened. “I just didn’t really expect you here. And I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for you, I’m waiting for someone.” When Daisho started to laugh, an unpleasant feeling started to spread in the teenager’s chest.

“You know, I’m actually hurt you didn’t recognize me at all.”

“What do you mean?” Kenma asked confused. “Of course I recognize you.”

Daisho snorted. “Well, now that you’re seeing me, sure. But back then at the phone? Or at the other café?”

Other café?

“I really wished that you’d at least remembered my voice.” The older male’s grin turned evil. “But I guess that just shows how little you cared about me after all, am I right?”

Kenma’s thoughts slowly came to a halt, his blood freezing in his veins. His grip at the edge of the table became painful and he had to will his hands open. Quickly he stood up, preparing himself to run towards the door, when a tight grip on his wrist held him back. “Don’t go yet,” Daisho cooed, his eyes sparkling dangerously. “Let’s talk a little.”

Kenma wanted to yank his hand out of the grip, but when he saw the barrel of a gun flash above the edge of the table, he froze again. _Don’t panic_ , he told himself. _You’re not defenseless. Don’t panic._ Slowly he sat back down, happy when the other male let go of his hand and the gun disappeared beneath the tabletop again. 

“What do you want?” he asked, keeping his voice cold and emotionless.

His ex-boyfriend furrowed his eyebrows. “I like your passionate expressions more, you know? That bodyguard really ruined you.”

“You sent these pictures to my dad,” Kenma stated with an angry hiss.

“Of course, I did. I already knew that you two were close to each other, but that bastard even dared to touch you!”

“What do you want?”

Unimpressed at Kenma’s bored tone, Daisho’s smirk came back again. “I always only wanted you, Kenma. But when you I realized that you didn’t love me back, I thought that I needed to kill you. I’m sorry about the letters I wrote, they weren’t nice, but I was just really angry, you know?” He reached over the table and gently brushed Kenma’s hand, who was too shocked to even think about drawing it back. “Don’t worry, love, I know now that it would be a waste to just kill you. I’m certain that you will love me back, if I give you enough time.”

While Daisho was talking, Kenma’s hand had slid into his bag. He thanked whichever god was listening that he had kept the panic button Kuro had given him out of habit, pressing it for the second time in his life. Although he didn’t know if it was still active, he only could hope so.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Daisho growled, making Kenma freeze. “Don’t even think about pulling your phone out!”

Slowly Kenma retracted his hand, pretending to be caught. He swallowed. “You know that I didn’t have a choice when I left you.” _Try to sound regretful,_ he told himself. _Stall for time._ “My dad didn’t allow me to see you again, after he found out about us.”

“And although he did the same with your bodyguard, you’re here just to meet him,” the older man deadpanned, before the grin settled on his face again. “Don’t think you can fool me, Kenma. I know that you never actually loved me. Not as much as I did.”

“I’m sorry, Daisho, I-”

“Kenma!” The teenager flinched, fear rendering him motionless again. “Please don’t try to fool me, I really don’t like that.”

At that Kenma couldn’t say anything.

Daisho sighed. “Come on, Kenma, we’re leaving. I’ll even pay for your coffee.”

Only slowly Kenma managed to stand up, and he reluctantly followed the other man to the entrance. _Don’t panic,_ he repeated in his mind. _Kuro will be here soon. He’ll definitely protect you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.  
> Like, this time I'm _really_ sorry. I'm especially sorry at all of you, who like Daisho, because I don't ^^' And he's probably pretty ooc, but he's an insanse stalker here, so meh...
> 
> Please shout at me in the comments, I deserve all your anger and hate ^^' (I'll still love you, though <3)
> 
> You can also scream at me at [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SaendyH) if you want or just say hi :3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been long since I've been this nervous about posting a chapter, but here I am, with sweaty palms, hesitating to push the button ...  
> I _really_ hope you'll enjoy this chapter at least as much as you enjoyed the previous ones!
> 
> Many, many thanks to my sister and my friend Velexica, you are awesome :3

It was silent in the tidy office, which was illuminated by the soft sunlight falling through tall windows. Tetsuro’s gaze was focused on the scenery outside trying not to let his thoughts wander too far. The heavy sigh caught his attention again.

His boss and old friend sat in her chair, as always dressed in an expansive suit, hair tamed in a neat bun. She looked incredibly tired and stressed out, and Tetsuro knew that it was partially his fault.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Kiyoko sighed after a few silent moments.

Tetsuro shrugged. “Then don’t say anything.” Her eyes squinted angrily, but she didn’t respond. “I can resign, if it makes things easier for you.”

“You know that I actually don’t want to do this, but you don’t leave me with another choice.”

“I know,” he answered gently, smiling reassuringly. “Let’s just get it over with quickly, ok?”

Kiyoko slowly returned the smile with a sad look in her eyes. “I can give you a month to move out of the dorm.” After she hesitated for a moment, she continued, “And if you want I can help you look for a new job. There are some people who owe me, so I can probably arrange something.”

“I’m still not sure what I want to do,” Tetsuro admitted a little sheepishly. “So, thanks, but I’ll manage on my own, I guess.”

“If you say so,” she said with a nod. “Just, can you tell me, why you did it?”

“Why I did what? Kiss Kenma?”

“Why did you start a relationship with him in the first place? You knew about the consequences, but still risked everything for a mere teenager.”

He smiled at her. “Would you call me cheesy, if I said I did it because I love him?”

“You don’t regret it at all, do you?” she asked.

“Not one bit.”

Kiyoko sighed again, before she chuckled a little, although it still sounded a little tired. “I guess this is just like you. Don’t hesitate to come to me if you need any help, ok?”

A wide smile spread on his face. “Thank you, Kiyoko. Not just for the offer. But … you know … Thank you for everything.”

“Geez, don’t say it as if we’re never going to see each other again. Go now, before you’ll get all emotional on me.”

“Sure thing, ma’am,” he answered with a grin and left her office.

\---

Roughly a month later Tetsuro stood in the little flat he was occupying in the company’s dorm, surrounded by multiple moving boxes. It might sound strange that a bunch of grown men were living together in a dorm, but it  has been actually quite  convenient, especially for those of them who got a lot of long term jobs. After all it doesn’t make much sense to own a flat if you’re never home anyway. So Kiyoko provided her employees with a dorm, where they could live in between their jobs. Tetsuro had used it ever since he had moved out from Kiyoko’s house. He just hadn’t believed it to be appropriate to live together with his boss.

It actually hadn’t been that hard to find a new apartment, he didn’t have much demands after all. He planned on moving out in a few days and was just packing up his last few things.

He wasn’t particularly sad that he had to move out now – like mentioned, he hadn’t been much home anyway – but having to quit his job hadn’t been on his to-do-list for the next few years. And to be honest he still didn’t know what to do next.

Thankfully he had gathered quite a large amount of savings during the time he had gone from job to job, just with no time to spend his money, so it wasn’t that urgent and he had a little more time to decide on a new job. He already had a few options that had piqued his interest, but nothing had completely convinced him yet.

When he took the small notebook, covered in rough leather, he immediately   halted his movements. It was the notebook Kenma had given him for his birthday, and somehow his heart clenched at that memory. For outsiders it might not seem to be the best gift, but for Tetsuro it meant a lot. Apart from having the notebook he had actually been wanting for years, but never had the guts to buy it – even if it seemed strange –, it was like Kenma was telling him to do what he has been wanting to do for years. To pursue his dreams despite all the obstacles, and reasons that might speak against them.

And if he really thought about it, now was the opportunity. He _could_ start studying at a university, he did have the money after all and he’d probably manage to pass the exams, if he just studied a little beforehand.

Should he really do it? He would be pretty old when he would have finished, probably mid-thirty. With a sigh he turned to one of the cartons, wanting to continue with his packing. It would be strange to go to a university at his age, and it wasn’t even certain that he’d manage to complete his studies in the first place.

But – the notebook in his hand told him otherwise. He could try it, try to fulfill the dream he had since high school. And it was really like Kenma was standing next to him and pushing him to do it.

Tetsuro stood in silence, staring at the book and letting his thoughts run freely through his head. With newfound determination he decided on researching his options as soon as he’d settle in his new flat. And he would tell Kenma about it, so that he wouldn’t chicken out before he got the chance to do it.

Grabbing his phone he noticed that he had an unread message he hadn’t noticed before. It were only two short sentences from Kenma.

_ Meet me right now? I’ll wait in the café ‘Homeside’, near my school. _

Tetsuro frowned. The teenager had sent him the message roughly twenty minutes ago, although he should definitely be in school right now. And he couldn’t imagine Ushijima allowing them to meet in a café, not after Kenma’s father had given him clear instructions to keep them apart. So the only possibility he could think of, was that Kenma had somehow sneaked away from him – which wouldn’t be good at all, but absolutely something the teenager would do. Even more if he had been influenced by his friends.

_ I want to meet you, too, but it’s not safe. Please go back to Ushiwaka _ , he quickly typed, already thinking about whether he should contact the other bodyguard and _how_ he should do it.

Before he could send the message, his phone started ringing loudly inside his hands. Confusedly he looked at his screen, not immediately understanding the situation. But as soon as he recognized the shrill tone, panic rushed through his veins, and before he could even think about the situation, he had already run of his front door.

\---

The cold air outside of the café hit Kenma hard against his flushed cheeks and he immediately buried his face further into the scarf around his neck. It was nearly funny how he noticed something simple as the cold, while his pulse was hammering in his ears. But apparently the panic made his whole body oversensitive.

Daisho was walking right behind him, the gun hidden in one of his coat’s pockets, but Kenma didn’t doubt for a second that it was directed at him. It took his whole self-control to continue walking and not succumb to his fears.

“Where are we going?” he asked, while slightly turning around. Admittedly he was a little proud that his voice wasn’t shaking.

His … well, _kidnapper_ looked at him wordlessly for a few seconds, before he nodded towards the back of the parking lot. “Just go to that car for now.”

Kenma frowned. “Since when can you drive?”

“Do you really want to discuss that now?”

Daisho’s tone suggested to him that he definitely did _not_ want to talk about _anything_ right now, although Kenma had actually hoped that talking would distract him. And he was still trying to stall for some time.

By now Kenma had cursed his choice of meeting place. The fact that the café had been practically deserted wasn’t that positive anymore, even though he didn’t know if having more people around could have actually helped him.

The parking lot itself was located behind the café so you couldn’t see it from the street, and despite the building not being especially tall the lot was pretty big – and pretty empty. It was more than unlikely that anyone would come and see them.

While Kenma slowly continued to walk to the small car Daisho had been pointing to, his mind raced to find a way out of his situation. He knew that he couldn’t simply hope that Kuro would show up, he had to do something himself. But knowing about the gun pointing at his back made it hard to think somehow.

The hand on his shoulder startled the hell out of him, and he nearly jumped. With wide eyes he turned around and looked at Daisho, who returned his gaze unimpressed. “Give me your phone,” he demanded sternly.

Kenma blinked at him in confusion. “What?”

“Your phone.” Only slowly Kenma processed what the other male wanted from him, and Daisho grew visibly impatient. “Please, Kenma, I really don’t want to hurt you, so do both of us a favor and do as I say.”

“Why do you want my phone?” Kenma replied cautiously, not quite sure how far he could push his kidnapper before he would snap.

The older male snorted. “Do you think I’m stupid? Of course I know that you have a new bodyguard, who can probably track it if he wants to. So give me your phone now.”

“I don’t think he would do that,” the teenager slowly answered, but dug into his bag to grab for his phone. When he handed it over his hand was slightly trembling.

His gut clenched in disgust as Daisho deliberately caressed his hand before he was taking the device. How he managed to keep a straight face and not jerk back was even a mystery to himself, but getting on his kidnapper’s bad side probably wasn’t the best idea.

“Can’t we talk about this, Daisho? I’m sure we can find a solution together,” Kenma tried again, looking hopefully into the other’s eyes.

“Solution?” Kenma flinched at the harsh tone. “Do you think I have a problem?”

“What? No! No, of course not!” The teenager quickly shook his head while he watched Daisho dismantling the phone and breaking the small card he took out of it.

Apparently the fear showed in his eyes, since Daisho sighed and stepped to him, lifting his hand to caress his cheek. “Don’t be afraid, Kenma, everything will be alright.” A small whimper left Kenma’s lips and his mind screamed for Kuro to come for him.

After another sigh the older male stepped around him to the car door and took a key out of his pocket. Apparently the car was too old to be unlocked via remote-control.

One thing was for certain – Kenma could under no circumstances get in _that_ car. Apart from Kuro, who would definitely come for his rescue – Kenma simply had to believe that to not panic completely –, Shouyou could tell Ushijima where he was. But as soon as he got on that car there was no way for anyone to find him, and Kenma was not dumb enough to let that happen.

Before he could even think about running away Daisho had opened the passenger door and looked at him expectantly. “Get in.”

Kenma shook his head and took a step backwards. 

“Kenma,” Daisho growled impatiently, his eyes squinting in anger. “Get in the car. Now.”

Another step away from the car. “I won’t.”

_ He’s going to grab my wrist and pull me, _ Kenma realized as his kidnapper’s face twisted in rage. And as expected Daisho quickly stepped towards him and closed his grip around Kenma’s arm. Instead of yanking his hand away, like it always had been Kenma’s first instinct, the hours of training with Kuro kicked in and his legs automatically stepped forward, letting himself being pulled. His hands swirled first up and then down to make his attacker lose his balance.

Without even looking if Daisho really had fallen, Kenma immediately turned around and started to run, when the hold on his wrist loosened. His legs, spurred by the adrenaline in his veins, thudded loudly against the concrete, but Kenma heard nothing through the blood that rushed in his ears.

A grip on his upper arm violently yanked him backwards, causing him to nearly fall. Somehow he managed to keep standing and immediately fought back. “No! Let me go!” he screamed, struggling to get away from Daisho.

But the older male was stronger. With a harsh pull he tugged Kenma behind and swirled around. The fist in his stomach made Kenma double over, the pain rendering him motionless for a moment.

“I told you to behave,” Daisho hissed, but Kenma didn’t even hear him over his own violent coughing.

The teenager lost his balance, when he was dragged towards the car again, but he struggled to stay on his feet. He put all his weight to stay on the spot, while his mind desperately tried to remember what Kuro had taught him. _Surprise_ , he thought to himself. _I have to surprise him._  But how should he do this?

As quick as he could he turned around to face Daisho. Instead of trying to get away again, he grabbed the other’s arm and leant down to bite it hard. Daisho cursed and harshly yanked his arm away, but because of the distraction he didn’t see how Kenma was ducking, so it was easy for the teenager to ram his shoulder into the other’s chest.

This time Daisho definitely fell down, and Kenma immediately used his chance to run away again. His eyes raced over the empty parking lot. Where should he run to? His school? Too far away. Into the café? Daisho had a gun, so the waiters probably couldn’t help him, and besides him there hadn’t been any other guests. So the street? This was probably his best option. He slightly changed his course.

The air got completely knocked out of his lungs, as he was tackled from behind and his head was pierced by a sharp pain. Through the dancing star behind his eyelids he noticed that he was lying on the floor, and a loud groan left his lips when he was turned around. On top of the pain behind his forehead he felt his cheek burn and tasted iron in his mouth.

Before he saw Daisho towering above him, Kenma felt him settle on his hips. His eyes only managed to focus slowly, and he had to blink a few times to chase the stars away. When he finally was able to see clearly again, he shortly could see the rage on Daisho’s face, before the fist connected with his left cheek. Again pain was raging through his head and possibly even knocking him out for a few seconds.

Only muffled he heard Daisho talking. “I really tried to be nice and treated you so well all the time. And how are you thanking me? You are running away! Again! Why are you always running away from me?”

Kenma whined lowly. “Daisho, please,” he groaned despite the pain. “Please just let me go. You’re hurting me.”

“Hurting you?” Daisho’s voice was trembling with anger. “Do you even know how much it hurt me, when we broke up?”

“I told you, my dad-”

“I don’t care about that!” Kenma flinched when Daisho shouted in his face. The older male grabbed his shirt and shook him. “I loved you! I still do…” His voice broke, and he slowly let his head fall down. “I still love you Kenma, and I promise I will make you happy. So why can’t you just-”

Suddenly the weight on Kenma’s hips was gone. The teenager managed to sit up just in time to see how Daisho got kicked into the face with a knee, making him fall backwards.

Daisho quickly sat up and confusedly looked at his attacker, his eyes widened in recognition. His right hand shot out to grab for the gun, which had fallen to the floor not far from him in their struggle, but before he could reach it a large shoe stepped on his hand. Hard.

Kenma cringed as he heard the crunching of bones. While Daisho began screaming in pain Kenma looked up to see who it was that had pulled his attacker off of him. He nearly sobbed in relief, when he saw the familiar face, now twisted in fury.

Kuro’s eyes were fixated on the other male’s face, and he stepped down harder on Daisho’s hand, before leaning down to grab the gun himself. Slowly he righted himself up again.

Immediately Daisho tried to lift Kuro’s leg and free his hand to stand up, but the sound of a gunshot made him freeze. With eyes widened in fear Daisho looked up just to come face to face with the barrel of his own gun.

“Don’t even try to stand up,” Kuro said in a cold tone, which even sent a shiver down Kenma’s spine. The bullet had only slightly missed Daisho’s head and Kuro’s voice left no doubt that the next would hit its target. “Although,” Kuro continued, “come on, stand up and give me a reason to shoot you. But don’t expect a fast death. Believe me, you will suffer for all the shit Kenma’s been through. I’ll pay you back _tenfold_ , until you’ll beg me to stop. And I definitely won’t stop.”

One could see the panic forming in Daisho’s eyes and his whole body started to tremble. Kenma himself froze in shock at those words. He had never seen that expression on Kuro’s face and that seriously scared him. “Kuro?” he whimpered lowly to get the raven’s attention.

Kuro’s eyes widened for a second, though they didn’t leave Daisho’s for a single moment, before his face hardened again. With a quick motion of his hand he hit the handle of the gun against Daisho’s temple, effectively knocking him out. After making sure that he definitely wouldn’t stand up again Kuro slowly turned around to Kenma. He stepped to him and crouched down, laying the gun on the floor.

“Are you alright, Kenma?” he asked softly, slowly stretching his hand out, but stopping it centimeters in front of the teenager’s face.

Tears welled up in Kenma’s eyes, and without even noticing Kuro’s hesitation he lunged himself into his lover’s arms. He couldn’t think about anything but, _Kuro is here! He came to rescue me, and he is here!_ The relief rushing through his veins made him feel dizzy. And he felt safe. Despite all the panic and the pain, he finally felt safe.

The raven sighed and pressed Kenma harder against his chest, burying his face in blond hair strands, and the teenager could feel the thundering rhythm of the other’s heart.

“He wanted to take me away,” Kenma hiccupped against Kuro’s chest. “I was so scared.”

“I know, Kenma, but you did so well,” Kuro murmured and let his hands run reassuringly over Kenma’s back. “You’re safe now, I’m here.”

Another sob. “Don’t leave me again.”

“I won’t. I promise, I won’t.”

\---

For several minutes Tetsuro couldn’t do anything besides sitting on the cold floor with Kenma, while holding him as tight as possible and murmuring encouraging words and sweet nothings. The teenager felt so small and fragile in his arms, but he was there. Tetsuro could feel his warmth and the frantic beat of his heart. He was here and he was safe, and that was enough to make him happy for now. But every time his boyfriend was shaken by a sob his heart broke a little more.

He had been so afraid that he would be too late.

Never in his life had Tetsuro run and driven as fast as he had today, never in his life had he been so afraid and angry, and when he had seen that bastard hovering over Kenma his mind had short-circuited and his instincts had taken over. He had wanted nothing more than to kick and hit and just _hurt_ him – but he couldn’t let Kenma see this. The teenager had enough trauma to cope with for more than one lifetime.

“Are you hurt, Kenma?” Tetsuro asked, voice rough with emotions as he gently pushed his lover away a little, letting his eyes roam over him. He frowned as he noticed the bruises on his face. The wounds looked disturbingly red on the pale skin, probably from when the teenager had fallen on the floor.

Kenma sniffled. “Just a little,” he answered lowly, and wiped the wet streaks on his cheeks away. “I hit my head pretty hard, though.”

Worried Tetsuro checked Kenma’s head for any major wounds, but luckily found nothing.

“What’s going on here?”

With a quick turn Tetsuro brought himself between Kenma and the source of the voice, blindly grabbing for the gun. He just needed a second to see that it was unnecessary.

“Ushiwaka,” he greeted Kenma’s current bodyguard with a nod, relaxing again.

The tall guy looked down to them with a stern face, and Kenma flinched a little as he saw him, guilt flashing over his face.

“Kenma was attacked by that guy.” Tetsuro pointed to the still unconscious man. “Luckily I came here in time and knocked him out.”

Ushijima looked at the male on the floor. “Who is he?”

“Daisho Suguru, my ex,” Kenma answered. “He wrote the letters and sent the photos.”

Another wave of anger washed over Tetsuro. He _really_ wanted to hurt that asshole. With gritted teeth he stood up and slowly pulled Kenma with him, eyes immediately searching for injuries again.

“Did you call the police?” Ushijima asked him.

“Not yet.”

The tall man turned to Kenma. “Do you need an ambulance?”

“No, I’m fine,” the teenager answered while shaking his head. “But Daisho needs it.”

Tetsuro frowned. “You should let your head get checked, too.”

Kenma looked at him quizzically, but nodded without talking back. Ushijima had already pulled his phone out to contact the police, while the teenager leant against Tetsuro again. The raven gladly put his arms around his lover. He would never let him go, if he could.

“They’ll be here in a minute,” Ushijima informed them, after he hung up his phone.

Both of them nodded, before Kenma started speaking. “I… I’m sorry for running away, Ushijima-san.”

The tall bodyguard arched an eyebrow. “Why are you apologizing? _You_ got hurt because you didn’t do as you were told.”

“Ah … well, yeah.”

Then they stood in silence again, waiting for the police to arrive and keeping an eye on Daisho, while Tetsuro continued to stroke Kenma’s back.

“You could go inside, you know?” Tetsuro murmured to Kenma, but as expected the teenager shook his head. The raven only let out a silent sigh, and lay his cheek on top of the blonde’s head.

“Will you let Kuro come home with me?” Kenma suddenly asked, and although it sounded strange for him to have to ask something like this the question was actually pretty legitimate.

Ushijima looked silently at them for a few moments, before he shrugged. “I don’t see the harm in that.”

Another sigh and Tetsuro placed a kiss on top of Kenma’s head. He would really hold onto him forever.

\---

They didn’t speak much when they were back at Kenma’s home, but just sat down on his couch, with Kenma leaning against Kuro’s chest, who again had circled his arms around him, as if he never wanted to let him go. Kenma certainly wouldn’t complain.

By now he had calmed down nearly completely, and that definitely was thanks to Kuro and how he patiently had cared about him for hours, after the paramedics had taken care of him. He probably would have fallen asleep by now, if he wasn’t anxiously waiting for his parents to come home. Ushijima had contacted them and reported everything that had happened. Then he thankfully had let them alone, retreating to the guestroom.

The nervousness tugged unpleasantly at the edge of Kenma’s mind. The conversation that would happen in a few minutes already tired him, but he knew that he had to do that and he couldn’t chicken out now. He had to talk with his father.

With a mental push Kenma hid those thoughts in a far corner of his mind for now, and did his best to enjoy Kuro’s presence. His warmth, his smell and the large hands drawing small symbols on his skin. He knew that he probably wouldn’t see him again that quickly.

After a few more minutes the door to his room was yanked open and both of his parents came in, worry written all over their face.

“Kenma, are you alright?” his mother immediately asked and stepped towards them.

His father stopped, the frown forming as soon as he saw Kuro. The raven noticed that of course and shifted away from Kenma, ready to stand up, but the teenager held him back.

“Stay,” he asked of his lover, looking at him determinately. He didn’t know if he could do this without his lover’s support.

Kuro hesitated for a moment, but nodded eventually, settling back into the couch, although he didn’t touch Kenma. The teenager had other plans and at least took one large hand into his own, and although the raven seemed a little confused he let it happen.

Satisfied Kenma turned to his mother, who had crouched in front of him. “I’m alright, mum,” he quickly reassured her with a smile, as she worriedly touched the wounds on his face. He flinched a little. “I just have a slight concussion, nothing grave.”

His mother blinked the tears out of her eyes. “I’m so happy that you’re alright, I-”

“What is he doing here?” his father interrupted her sternly, disapproval clearly on his face. Although Kenma had expected such a question, it hurt. That shouldn’t be the first thing a father asked.

Kenma frowned. “Kuro saved me,” he answered defiantly, squeezing his lover’s hand. “And I want him to be here.”

His father hissed angrily, “I _forbade_ you to see him again! And you were attacked because you defied me _and_ your bodyguard, when you ran away for him! What were you even thinking?!”

“Can’t you just shut up for a moment and be happy that your son is safe?” his mother surprisingly interjected, anger clear in her voice. Her tear wetted eyes shifted between her husband and her son, and she made it clear that she wouldn’t allow her husband to speak like that right now.

The men in the room were too surprised to say something for a moment. Kenma found his voice first.  He knew what he had to do, and he had to do it now.

“I don’t care if you approve of it or not, but I will stay with Kuro,” he stated firmly. Besides him Kuro tensed a little, but he soothingly let his thumb stroke over Kenma’s skin. No matter if he did it to reassure Kenma or not, the teenager’s heart started to flutter at this loving gesture, and it gave him all the confidence he needed to continue before his father could object, “And I won’t work at your company either. I’m tired of doing everything you say, from now on I’m going to live how I want. I’m going to study what I want, and I’m definitely not going to marry any of those girls, like you want me to. I’m gay, and that won’t change just because you don’t like it.”

His father was obviously angry, his teeth and fists clenching. He stared at the raven for a moment, who returned his gaze with all the calm in the world. Kuro definitely wouldn’t waver and leave Kenma alone in this. “I don’t know where you got that stupid idea from,” Kenma’s father growled lowly, “but I will _not_ tolerate it.” Without waiting for an answer he turned around and stormed out of the room.

The following silence hung heavily in the room, tugging at Kenma’s heart. _You knew it would be like this,_ he told himself bitterly. It still didn’t take the pain away.

Kenma’s thoughts were disrupted by a deep sigh of his mother. “He’s actually happy that you’re safe,” she calmly said. “He was really worried, too. Just … we have to talk about this in peace, ok?” She gestured to the men’s locked hands, and though she didn’t look as if she approved, there at least was no judgement in her eyes.

Kenma sighed. He knew that she was right, and he was relieved that she wasn’t immediately dismissing their relationship. So he agreed with a nod, “Yeah, sure.”

After she pulled her son into a quick hug and made sure he didn’t need anything, Kenma’s mother also left the room, leaving him and Kuro alone. With another sigh Kenma leant his head on his lover’s shoulder.

“You’re ok?” the raven asked quietly, definitely not for the first time that day. The expression in his caramel eyes was calm and worried, but behind it Kenma could see the fondness, which always made him feel a fuzzy warmth.

The teenager shook his head. “I’m just tired.” And as soon as he had said that out loud, his eyelids grew heavier and his mind started to drift away. ‘Tired’ didn’t even begin to describe how he was feeling after this afternoon.

“Everything will be alright now, Kenma,” Kuro reassured him confidently and kissed his head.

And in that moment Kenma knew that everything _would_ be alright. There certainly would be even more trouble in the future and many fights with his parents, but for now he didn’t care. Because Kuro was there, he loved him and he would stay with him, and that was everything Kenma could have ever asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is basically the end... I mean, there _will_ be an epilogue chapter (and a special one shot), but, yeah...  
>  I'll leave the emotional stuff out of here and just post it next week ^^'
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it, _please_ , please tell me what you thought of this chapter and the story in general :)


	14. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it, the very last chapter of "Kenma's personal (hot) bodyguard"...  
> Thank you all so much for accompanying me through this, for reading it, and constantly encouraging me. Seriously, you guys are amazing, I wouldn't have enjoyed writing this story so much if it weren't for you.  
> And I really enjoyed writing this, I love Kuroo and Kenma so much, and I am happy that I could give this fandom something I'm proud of :3
> 
> One last time: Many, many thanks to my beta-readers, my dear sister Yumia and my precious friend Velexica <3
> 
> I hope you enjoy this :)

“Thank you again so much, Kenma,” Shouyou beamed at him for at least the fifth time this evening.

And like every time Kenma simply waved his hand at him to dismiss his thanks. “There’s really no need to thank me so much. Just take me for a coffee sometime and we’re good.”

His ginger friend nodded enthusiastically. “Will do. I really don’t know what I would do without you. Tobio isn’t really much of a help after all.”

“I still don’t get why you had to pick math, though.”

“I’m not sure either,” Shouyou answered with a shrug. “But the professor requires this class before I can write my paper at his chair. He is so rattled all the time, he probably doesn’t even know it himself.”

Kenma just shook his head at that. Of course he had no problem with teaching his friend a little, especially after he had already taken several advanced math classes for his own studies, but it still seemed strange to Kenma that a sports student had to take it. There was no helping it though, some professors were strange after all.

“Well then, I’ll see you around,” Shouyou happily said and stepped through the front door.

Kenma nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, see you.”

After the heavy door closed he let out a small sigh. Although he was happy every time he saw his friend, it was still a little exhausting to spend several hours with him, and on top of that came the fact that he normally wasn’t patient enough to teach someone. So he was more than looking forward to just relaxing on the couch.

He quickly went to the kitchen and set up the water kettle to make some tea, as well as refilling the water bowl on the floor, before he went back to the living room. While he busied himself with cleaning up the mess both of them had left, his console booted and he thought about what he should play today. There were several games which had been published earlier this month, and he hadn’t had enough time to play them yet, so he was actually quite indecisive about what to choose.

After gathering the finished tea Kenma settled on the comfortable couch, controller already in his hands. He had decided on the newest installment of the ‘Final Fantasy’ series. Being a fan of the series since he had been small he had bought every single game to the series, and although there were a few that weren’t exactly his favorite games, he still found himself looking forward to everything new relating to that universe.

The familiar tune rang softly through the living room and Kenma quickly started a new adventure, triggering the first of many following cutscenes. Although he quickly got immersed by the smooth voice of the narrator he didn’t miss the quiet footsteps which he had already been waiting for. The couch next to him dipped a little and he automatically lifted his hands to allow the head to settle on his lap.

He shot a small glance downward, and locked gazes with tired eyes for a brief moment, before he concentrated on the dialogue on the screen again. His hand unconsciously found black, messy hair and started to softly untangle the strands.

“Have you finished?” he asked, when the cutscene finished.

The man in his lap sighed a little. “Not completely,” Kuro admitted quietly. “But I don’t think that I can write one coherent sentence anymore today. I’ll just finish tomorrow.” Another sigh. “I swear, this professor is nuts, making us write 15 pages in just two weeks with finals being just around the corner.”

“I feel you,” Kenma agreed, having made his own experiences with unnecessarily high expectations from professors. He was just glad that he still had a few more weeks until his own finals would start. “I made you some tea,” he said then, pointing to one of the two cups on the coffee table.

Kuro looked up with a smile. “Thank you.”

For a moment Kenma’s heart seemed to skip a beat. After all these years he probably should be used to how downright _beautiful_ his boyfriend could look sometimes, but he still found himself having to forcefully catch a breath now and then.

They fell into comfortable silence like they did so often, playing, and respectively watching, the game and occasionally sipping on their teas.

Tetsuro’s mind started to wander a little, while he observed Kenma’s face during one of the first fight scenes. He still found it incredibly endearing how his forehead would furrow in concentration, and how he would slightly nibble on his lower lip, waking the need in him to take it in between his own. Sometimes he’d give in to that desire, always earning a slight scowl as well as a blush, and sometimes coaxing his boyfriend to give him all the attention he wanted – Tetsuro was pretty greedy in that regard, but he couldn’t find it in him to feel bad about it.

Today he settled with watching and comparing the mature face to the young one he had gotten to know on their first meeting. Of course twenty-three was still a pretty young age, but one could clearly see that Kenma has left his teenager years behind for several years now.

Tetsuro still remembered how they had moved in together immediately after Kenma had finished his school, and how his boyfriend had struggled with practically living on his own during the first few months. The fact that Tetsuro had spent all his time taking preparatory classes for his study or learning at home hadn’t helped much either. And just as both of them had gotten used to their new living arrangements they’d had to get used to going to university.

Of course not all had been easy during the last five years, but Tetsuro could confidently say that none of them have ever regretted their decisions or questioned their relationship. The support of their friends had helped a lot, although the same couldn’t be said about Kenma’s parents.

The relationship with his mother was actually ok, she had come to terms with their relationship rather quickly. It also hadn’t been the fact that her son was gay that had bugged her, but rather the large age-difference they had between them. You could say that she just had been worried about the well-being of her son. Nevertheless Tetsuro had been relieved when they had gotten her consent – especially for Kenma, who had been incredibly happy about that.

Their relationship with Kenma’s father was rocky on the best days. The man was still disappointed of his son and his decisions, but Kenma had made it quite clear that he didn’t care about that. A lie, as far as Tetsuro knew, but his boyfriend had gotten over it.

On top of the problems Kenma had had with his parents and settling into his new life style, he had been plagued with nightmares for quite some time. Although the immediate danger had been locked away together with Daisho, the emotional pain wasn’t something he would easily forget, something Tetsuro knew just too well. But with Tetsuro’s and his friends’ help, together with that of a professional, Kenma completely got over it in less than four months, and Tetsuro was incredibly proud  of his boyfriend for that.

So despite not everything being perfect, at the same time it was.

Even now, after five long years, Tetsuro found himself wondering how he had managed to get  to this point, what he did to deserve such a wonderful, supportive boyfriend, who encouraged him to pursue his dream in every waking second. Likewise Kenma was asking him that question from time to time too, only adding to Tetsuro’s seemingly overflowing happiness.

And Tetsuro wanted to hold onto that happiness for all his life.

He had already decided on asking Kenma to marry him, but wanted to wait until they both were finished with university. He planned on making it big, probably take Kenma to America, somewhere they could hold a real wedding. Or if that wasn’t what Kenma wanted, he would also be more than content to just do something symbolic for themselves. Anything that would make Kenma happy.

“What’s wrong?” Kenma asked and snapped him out of his reverie.

“Hm?” Tetsuro hummed innocently.

“You’re staring at me. And you have that strange smile again.”

The raven’s smile only grew wider. “You mispronounced ‘happy’.”

A surprised expression hushed over Kenma’s face, and his eyes darted down for a second, only to lift up when a light blush settled on his cheeks. “Idiot,” the younger man mumbled, but his lips slowly stretched into a smile of his own, and his hand shortly caressed his boyfriend’s hair again.

Kuro turned a little in Kenma’s lap to face the TV properly. “Bokuto asked today, if he and Akaashi can come over for dinner this weekend,” he remembered after a few silent minutes.

“You mean he invited himself again?”

The raven snorted. “Yep.”

Although Kenma sighed Kuro knew that he didn’t really mind it. He had become pretty good friends with Akaashi after all. “Then we’ll better prepare something to accommodate his huge appetite.”

“I actually thought about inviting Yaku and Lev too, since we haven’t seen them in quite some time.” He huffed a little as a small ball of black fur jumped on top of his stomach, but his hand immediately started to caress the small, black feline. It was astonishing how fast the kitten had gotten used to them, considering that they only had bought her a few weeks ago. Kenma’s hand stretched to stroke the cat shortly, before he went back to his game. Kuro continued speaking, “And Suga just came back from his trip to Germany, so we have to invite him and Sawamura, too. And since Oikawa would pout and be a pain in the ass, it’s probably best to include him and Iwaizumi as well.”

Kenma snorted. “You know that we don’t have that much room in the apartment to invite all of them?”

“That’s why I thought about simply going out to Azumane’s with everyone. Maybe I’ll even get Kiyoko to stop working for one evening.”

“I thought you were terribly stressed out and don’t have time for anything except studying?” Kenma chided slightly, but the amusement was clear in his voice.

Kuro whined. “But Kenma… It’s just one evening. A man needs to relax from time to time.”

Kenma smiled as his boyfriend – his adult boyfriend – drew his mouth in a pout. “Then we can do that.” His smile turned into a smirk. “Although I can always help you with releasing a little stress, you know.”

His boyfriend immediately leaned up, earning a disapproving mewl from the kitten, who had to reposition herself, and pulled Kenma into a hot kiss. Before the blonde really registered what was happening, Kuro had already laid his head back into his lap, but kept one hand at his cheek.

The raven smirked up to him, the crooked one, which always sent shivers of anticipation down Kenma’s spine. “You know that I can always coax that out of you, if I want to.”

And sadly he was right. No matter the time Kuro somehow _always_ managed to seduce Kenma, if he put his mind to it. No, scratch that. Kenma wasn’t sad about that at all. Instead he enjoyed it way too much to be peppered with attention, until he couldn’t hold back anymore and gave in to his boyfriend.

But he wouldn’t be beaten this easily. “Hm,” he hummed thoughtfully. “And here I thought I could offer you some kind of special service for once.”

At that the Kuro quirked his eyebrow. “Special service?”

“Mhm. But since you obviously don’t want it,” Kenma sighed theatrically, “I guess I just have to forget about it.”

“No, no, no! You can tell me _everything_ about this special service, or even better, show me.”

Pride and happiness bubbled up in Kenma’s chest, along with a wave of happiness. There was nothing better than riling his boyfriend up from time to time. He smiled down at the raven, a mischievous glint inside his eyes. “Maybe later, if I’m feeling generous.”

Kuro muttered something under his breath, and Kenma could only understand the words “devil” and “conceited brat”, but that was enough to make him laugh a little. He brought his attention back to his game, and simply continued to enjoy the other’s warmth.

“Kenma,” Kuro called quietly for him after several minutes.

The blonde made a sound to show that he was listening, but didn’t shift his eyes away from the screen.

“I love you.”

That immediately made him look down with big eyes, taking in the way Kuro smiled tenderly at him. His chest filled with warm and fuzzy happiness, as it always did at Kuro’s gentle words. He smiled back, just as lovingly.

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst, there'll be a special chapter on my profile in the near future. A smexy special chapter that might (will definitely) include a glasses-wearing Kuroo :3


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